Megaman Zero Renew
by Zerodius
Summary: Megaman Zero 4, Ragnarok, the final battle. What if things had went differently? Can a single event change the future?
1. Zero 4, Ragnarok, the final battle

**OFF:** I've been a fan of the Megaman serie for years and followed its rather troubled development as multiple teams tried their best at expanding its story. And although I respect the original team (IntiCreates) and its vision, I have found myself wondering about certain points and considering theories that they seem to dislike. And with the confusion in the serie timeline that arose recently, a serie of retcons that I don't approve, and various other points, I now feel that I can safely solidify my opinion on the serie.

Thus, I preseny my own alternate take on the serie. Although I will strive to keep the characters and atmosphere close to canon, this fanfic is based upon a few of my theories and one very important split in the timeline compared to the original.

Namely, what if a certain event had happened during Megaman Zero 4, influencing Zero's final course of action?

This is the final result of my theories about the serie.

Enjoy!

**EDIT: **Gah! I had to re-submit the chapter because that deleted every instance of the word "Dr Weil" in the fic the way I first worded it! So apologies if it seemed like words were missing ; words were effectively missing. This new version shouldn't have words missing.

* * *

**MEGAMAN ZERO 4**

Ragnarok ~ The Final Battle

* * *

He was troubled.

Although he had always been quiet, she had never seen him like this. He always had a sense of strength, of determination to him before but now, it was gone. When she looked at him, she could see the weariness, the resignation... He kept telling her that it was alright, that his faith was still strong but deep down, she was worried sick. It was dead obvious that all was not okay, that he doubted the cause just as she now did.

A year had passed since his awakening and nothing had changed. All of her research, all of the sacrifices, all of his battles... it had changed nothing. When Copy-X died, everyone expected things to calm down but the X Guardians had resumed the crusade as if nothing had happened, taking things into their hands. Then when Omega had been defeated and the Dark Elf neutralized, Dr Weil was to become nothing but a bad memory, an impotent madman reduced to curse the world with his tongue. But he had slithered his way back into Neo Arcadia as if he still owned the place. And now, with the X Guardians defeated as well, Dr Weil took command and everything returned to the same situation they were at before she had awakened Zero in the first place.

Had it been worth it? And now, they were fighting again to prevent Dr Weil from yet again ruining everything he could touch and yet again, sacrifices had been made, sacrifices that weighted heavily on everyone. Craft... he had wished to protect those he lived, to change the world and put an end to an era of misery. In the end, he had been an instrument of misery himself.

And now, Ragnarok was coming crashing down. Zero's words echoed inside of her mind, filling her heart with a nameless fear.

He had told Craft he had failed because weapons of war could not change the world, that only humans such as herself could change the world.

She had heard him and she knew that in a way, it had been meant to calm her down... yet, as the full significance of the words sunk in, her entire body found itself chilled by the implications. Things were definitely not okay. They had ceased to be a long while ago. And now, Zero was about to go on what was amounting to be another suicide mission.

She tried to reassure herself. After all, this was not the first suicide mission. To dive into an oceanic abyss without protection, to wander into gamma ray-soaked wastelands, to fearlessly plunge into enemy territory cutting his way through security systems as if they weren't there... Zero had faced countless impossible odds and she knew from the history logs that he had been doing this since forever. But this time... this one time was different.

Something had changed and it deeply terrified her. With the war seemingly lasting forever, she was forced to rethink why she fought it in the first place. So many had been killed and with Neo Arcadia gone, most of the humanity and reploids were now gone... and without Neo Arcadia's environmental stabilization systems, Area Zero's reborn nature was the only hospitable environment left on Earth. Not that there remained many people who needed it.

But to go into Ragnarok like this? The self-destruction mechanism had been damaged and all of the controls jammed. What would Zero be able to do to stop Ragnarok?

...in truth, she knew perfectly what the answer was.

He wouldn't do it, would he? He couldn't do it, could he?

She looked at him, sitting on the doorframe of the trailer. It was not an unfamiliar pose but before he had always looked to the horizon dutifully, as if guarding the area, his gaze sharp and clear. But now, his eyes were firmly locked downward, his gaze on his feet, his stare dull, unfocused. For the first time, he looked like one of the lower Resistance members, unsure of what to do, a vague expression of despair and resignation all over his face. For the first time in months, the Legendary Reploid was crumbling before her very eyes, the confused, sensitive amnesiac that she had awakened revealed in all of his shameful weakness.

It was strange to call someone who could slice and dice his way through dozens of Reploids weak but she could understand the feeling. She will go down in history as one of the greatest geniuses in history, her discoveries and talents in robotics and sciences securing her alongside the legendary Dr Light himself. Yet, what good had her so-called genius brought her? Her masterpiece, Copy-X, had brought only pain and all of her research on Cyber-elves had barely slowed down the war for a mere few weeks before being forgotten altogether. And now, with Area Zero, her research was to become irrelevant completely.

She could relate in a way to how he felt. He was the Legendary Reploid, the last of his kind, a being who could bring down any army, any power down... except not. No matter how many Pantheons he cut down, no matter the face of the ruler he destroy, a new enemy always rise to take its place, always, without fail, endlessly. Both of their efforts had seemed utterly futile.

And she now wondered why she fought if her efforts were futile. If she couldn't convince anyone from stopping fighting, if her research would do no good, why should she continue to lead the Resistance? She had asked herself this question many times and Zero had told her that it hadn't been in vain. But now that she thought about it... she realized that he had told her not to worry because that if she broke then the last pillar that kept up his facade would crumble.

...and at this exact moment, she realized why she kept trying.

Because she had to. Because someone had to do it. Because she cared for the lives of those around her and didn't care if the fight was futile. This is why she had left Neo Arcadia, why she had opposed the very Reploid she had created. Each and every soul here had done everything in its power so that they would survive this long despite the odds, despite how hopeless everything had seemed. And in that, there was a victory. Neo Arcadia had never managed to stamp out their hope and they had ultimately outlived it. It was a horrible thought, one that she was ashamed of for Neo Arcadia's death had been in fire, causing the deaths of millions. But the cold fact remained that in the end, she and all those she cared for had succeeded, they had remained standing when the dust had settled.

And now, the very pillar that had held the Resistance up for so long, the beacon of hope that had kept them going in the darkest of moments was itself crumbling underneath the pressure. Zero could not bear the pressure. He tried to but he couldn't. No single soul, not even a living legend, could bear this weight. No soul should bear this weight alone. If she let him crumble then she would have truly failed for she would have failed in performing the one thing she had set out to do in the first place...

...protect those she loved.

"You have done a very good job disabling that security circuit..."

He seemed to come alive, glancing behind him as he heard her voice. She had been acting quite strangely ever since he had returned from Ragnarok. He could see the worry in her eyes and for the first time in months, it got through his emotional shell and into him. She knew. With all of its systems jammed and with so little time left, the chances that he would return from Ragnarok were slim.

He nodded. What was there to say to that? He had done as he had always done, destroying the enemy that stood in front of him. That's what he does, what he's good for. He is the Legendary Reploid after all. What is a tiny ball of protective data compared to him?

"Everything will be ready for the transfer to Ragnarok?"

"Yes, of course."

An awkward pause. She did not know what to say, how to bring it. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. It made him think of all those twisted bodies, of all those horrified faces that used to belong to those who fought alongside him before they died. As long as no one asked questions and that he acted alone, everything turned out alright.

...yeah, everything turned out alright.

The all too recent visage of Craft as he died in resignation tried to creep out of his memory chip in protest but he used all of his mental strength to repress it. He couldn't start doubting, not now, not when everyone depended on him to stop Ragnarok. They couldn't evacuate Area Zero. Even if they could, where would they go? There was nowhere else to go. He had to stop Ragnarok no matter the cost...

And then... and then...

"I... don't think there will be anything threatening Area Zero for a long time after this mission."

Why did he say that? He cursed himself, wondering why his nerves had failed him now of all times. He had not snapped staring at the horrifying, intimidating shape of Copy-X's seraphim form, he had not snapped when Elpizo had murdered his one true friend in cold blood before his very eyes, he had not snapped when Dr Weil had tried to convince him that his life had been a lie and as Omega had laughed at his face, pointing at him before charging at him with the same weapons he wielded... so why was he snapping now, of all time? All Ciel did was remind him that everything was ready for the transfer!

"With both Neo Arcadia and Weil gone, I think so. Why did you ask, Zero?"

That was a very good question indeed. One he wasn't sure anymore what the answer might be. And unfortunately, it seemed that Ciel saw right through him.

"I'm starting to become very worried. You've been growing distant, uneasy. It's almost as if you stopped believing..."

He sprung up, turning to her. "I don't want to hear any of that. You will change this world for the better, Ciel. I am convinced of it."

"I know Zero. But what about you? Do you still believe you can make a difference?"

The silence that followed was very awkward. This... was not how he had expected the conversation to turn out. And it made an unpleasant memory return to him. He had spent six months in that blasted desert killing Pantheons and Neo Arcadian troops, six long months alone. Copy-X was dead and he had expected that they'd give up soon now that they had been beheaded only it had not happened. Six months doing nothing but swinging his Z-saber, killing enemy after enemy after enemy after enemy... endlessly, without end. A battle that never ended but for what?

...it was his promise to his friend, the promise he made to X.

But as he stared at Ciel and milled the question inside of his mind, he realized it wasn't true. If all that mattered was destroying Mavericks, why did he stop caring? Most importantly, why had the Resistance somehow finding him made him feel alive again? He had spent the remainder of the year killing Mavericks all the same and yet, somehow, having others at his side had given the deed a different feel. Knowing that Ciel, Cerveau, and all the others would wait for him back at the trailer made it feel so very different. It wasn't the same at all.

Some called him a hero. He was the Legendary Reploid after all. But for some reason, this irritated him. And now looking back on his interactions with the people of Area Zero, he realized that their attitudes had surprisingly irritated him just as badly. He didn't care for being called a hero and yet, he didn't like being dismissed either? Was this a logical course of action?

He thought of his promise...

When he thought about it, it made no sense. The promise felt incredibly important and yet, he realized that fulfilling it made him feel empty. He was missing something here...

... and as he saw Ciel's worry grow by the second at his failure to answer her question, he couldn't help but have the answers creep back into his mind.

He hated to see her or any of the others suffer. They had fought and died just because Neo Arcadia had been paranoid. It was all meaningless so why did he care about this stupid war, considering all the suffering it caused?

He still remembered Operation Righteous Strike. Neither he nor Ciel should have ever approved it. It had been complete madness, suicidal overconfidence of the worst kind. He still remembered the piles of mangled bodies, full of faces that he had once associated with friends. The deformed visages of the dead filled his mind and for a second, he felt violently ill but managed to suppress it. It had been then that he had begun to fight harder, to become more daring, to always push further. He was the Legendary Reploid, he could make a difference, he-...

...he was the Legendary Reploid, he could make a difference...

He had fought for those who could not fight, used his power to protect those he cared about from those who wished to deny them freedom, happiness, and life.

"Yes, I think I will."

It calmed him slightly. He would go to Ragnarok because that he had the power to stop it. That was what he did. He believed in Ciel just as she believed in him.

...yet, her gaze had barely gotten better at all. Most of the worry was still on her face. She was very bad at hiding her emotions and this bothered him deeply.

Was he missing something?

His gaze left Ciel and he realized that the operator and a few of the other Reploids manning the command center's computers were staring at him now. Much to his dismay, their worry mimicked Ciel's. What was he missing? Wasn't that what they had wanted to hear? That he would do his job and would put all of his power and concentration into it? That he would protect them from those who would harm them, allowing them to build a better future?

The human woman turned to the Reploids and gestured to them. They nervously turned back to their consoles, resuming their work while Ciel turned to him.

"Please let's go outside. I want to talk."

It was only a few steps out of the trailer, really nothing that took too long. Zero couldn't help but wonder what she had in mind that required them to go outside. Yet, as she began to look all over the place except toward him, he felt strangely embarrassed and wished she had brought it up inside instead. He wasn't an idiot and for a moment, he wished he had been one. After a moment, she turned toward the sole direction where the horizon was green instead of red, the robot following her gaze.

"I hope we will succeed in protecting Area Zero. It is truly a miraculous find. I think that we may have found a place where we can finally begin anew for real."

She looked at him for a moment, not saying anything...

"You think that the new world will be beautiful?"

"Yes." To him, it was a very silly question and for the first time since the last few days, he smiled. Of course the new world would be beautiful. Together, everyone would create a new world, one where peace would most probably reign.

"When this is all over, what do you plan to do?"

He turned to her and opened his mouth... but no words came out. His entire mind frozen as he wondered if his systems had glitched. Why hadn't he answered the question? It was a very easy one to answer. It was then that he realized that he had absolutely no idea.

"I don't know."

"Zero... don't tell me that you... never thought about it?"

That was the last thing he had expected. She had asked him this many times and every time, he had told her the truth and she had smiled and told him he'd get an idea sometime. But now, her reaction was one of dismay, sadness, disbelief. It made his heart sink.

"The war will not last forever Zero. Neo Arcadia is gone, Weil is gone, and I know you will stop Ragnarok. At long last, Reploids and humans will come together to build a new world. We will finally be able to stop fighting and to realize our dreams. Don't tell me that in all of those months, you never thought of anything you wanted to do?"

"I..." he scrambled through his memory chip, trying to piece together an answer but not to avail. The first thought was to contest Ciel. He had been killing enemies for months and more always came to replace those he killed. It literally never ended.

...except it just had. With Neo Arcadia destroyed, what was left of the Maverick Hunters had openly thrown down their arms and had helped the Resistance move the survivors of the Ragnarok strike to Area Zero. Copy-X, the X Guardians, and Weil were all bad memories. Once the Ragnarok is gone, who will be left as an enemy? He realized that he had finally run out of targets.

But would he succeed? Ciel had absolute confidence she could... and why wouldn't she? In fact, why wouldn't he? Whatever was directing Ragnarok to the ground wouldn't survive much longer. Once he gets in the Ragnarok Core, that someone, whoever that is, will have an appointment with his Z-saber and everything will be over.

And then... what? "Ciel, I am a Reploid built for war. It will be you who will make the new world. I believe in you."

"That is not what I asked you!"

She sure startled and surprised him a lot today. Unfortunately, it was all in unpleasant ways and he found himself unable to eliminate that worry and sadness from her eyes. This made him feel increasingly distressed, a feeling he hated.

"Zero, I... I care about you. Everyone around here and back at the base cares about you. What are your plans for the future? To sacrifice yourself heroically and die in a blaze of glory?"

"No! Why should I? I didn't intend to die before and I'm certainly not planning on sacrificing myself now! Why are you even implying this?"

"Because I'm worried about you..."

He stared at her and for a moment, he had the feeling like she had shrunk. Then he realized that it was because his entire body had tensed and that the emotional stress he was experiencing was the greatest he had felt since he had fought Omega two months ago. He also realized that he had yelled at her and that the shame that was growing inside of him was voiding all of his thoughts, making his entire body feel like it was draining of its energy.

What had he been thinking? This wasn't like him at all. Why was everyone so worried about him? Why was Ciel so worried about him?

He stared at her, saw her worry and sadness grow enough to make her eyes begin to water. The feeling of failure was total in his heart. He was supposed to be helping everyone and once more, he was failing at the task. He couldn't bear to see her cry, to see despair over the faces of others.

Then, in a flash of hindsight, he realized why she was crying... or rather, he remembered. Why was everyone so worried about him? Why is she so worried about him? How can she care bout him like this? He... he... he is a weapon, a murderer. What will he do when this is all over? Remember who he used to be, remember even more friends he failed to protect, even more people he killed, even more dreams that didn't come true?

"I'm... I'm a weapon, Ciel..."

He had finally snapped.

She had never seen it coming, never thought it could happen but it had happened and at the last moment she had expected it to happen. Suddenly, for the first time, his emotional shell failed him completely and she heard the confused, ashamed amnesiac within admit how powerless he was.

Whatever his past life was, it was something he didn't want to return to. She knew from the history logs and so did he. Omega had seen to that. All he had ever done was fighting. All that they had ever called for was for the hero to protect them. He never had a chance to decide. The second he had awakened he had begun fighting and had repressed his feelings, driven by a promise to an old friend and the desire to protect. But this determination could not last forever.

How ironic... for his determination to fail at the very apex of his triumph just as he is to depart to the final confrontation.

"No."

"All I know is fighting. If there is an enemy, if you need me to protect you, I will do it. I will do it if it is the last thing I must do. But it will be you who will change the wo-"

She did not let him finish. "You are Zero."

She had stopped crying, he could see that. Yet, he felt slightly dizzy and weakened.

"You're not a weapon. You are Zero. Everyone will want to see you return."

"I... I understand. I promise I will return."

"No." she smiled? As she said no? Why-"You will return. I know it. And once you do... I'll give you a tour around Area Zero. I want to take a look a few of the environmental systems."

"Then why don't you take one of the science officers with you? I don't think that dealing with such systems is part of my specialties."

"Just promise me you'll accompany me when you return."

He had already told her that he wasn't any good with that kind of thing and still, she insisted. Yet... for some reason, it was somehow good enough for him. The way all of the emotions had flowed... he couldn't believe it. He had kept it all in for so long and now that he thought about it, it had almost destroyed him. What had he been thinking? She was right, he had never intended on sacrificing his life needlessly and no matter how suicidal this new mission was, he'd return from it. He wasn't sure what he'd do with those systems when he returned but she would be happy...

...and well... that will make him happy too, perhaps.

The trailer's door suddenly opened. The two turned to see one of the Resistance members, eyes obviously widened behind his visor. He looked at the two for a moment before calming down.

"Miss Ciel, mister Zero, what were you doing? We heard you shouting from inside!"

"It was nothing, just some unfinished business we had to take care of. Everything is alright now." the crimson Reploid turned to the scientist. She nodded in agreement before turning to the Resistance member.

"Prepare the Transerver. We need to stop that satellite from colliding with Area Zero."

As the two entered the trailer again, each of the Resistance members within took a good look at the hero of legend. His steps were deliberate, fast, precise, his gaze focused and determined. It occurred to them that they had not seen Zero this determined for more than a month. This was the brave, no non-sense Zero they knew, not that fatalist who proclaimed to be a weapon powerless to change the world. Whoever was now controlling Ragnarok was in for a rough time indeed. Sure, time was critically short and the odds were impossibly stacked but then, it had been so thrice in the past.

* * *

Zero cursed loudly to himself. Too slow, he was just too darn slow! Who had the bright idea of creating copies of Craft's men and then placing a DNA-coded security door with their signatures in its databank? It was as if someone had been trying to deliberately waste his time. He ran, ran, ran as fast as he could and yet glances outside shown the hull of the satellite red hot as the friction increased. He could see his options for stopping Ragnarok shrinking by the second and it did not please him at all.

Almost kicking the last security shutter open, Zero leaped on the ladder and made his way as fast as he could toward the hatch that separated the Ragnarok Core's room from him. He slammed his Z-Knuckle weapon into it, not even bothering to open it correctly before leaping into the chamber. He frantically scanned the gigantic room, half-expecting to be ambushed but strangely enough, there was nothing. Nothing but the soft light from the strange sword-shaped machinery floating in the middle of the room and the constant, never-ending rumbling as the station's outer hull shook violently from the stress it was experiencing.

How amusing. The one who designed this station had a very poor sense of humor or a very acute sense of irony, Zero figured as he walked around the outer edges of the room, noticing all of the cables and machinery that kept the station's core, shaped like a sword of all things, floating and functioning correctly. Knowing his luck, he could bet that the thing was probably protected by a bajillion of security systems that would waste even more of his already dwindling time.

Oh well, he got Ciel on the line, monitoring his progress and this time, the transmission's pretty clear. If he needs to cut any wires or re-arrange any systems, she'll help him carry out the task.

"GyheeeheehahahahaahHA!"

The red Reploid flinched visibly as a mix of disbelief, horror, and annoyance filled his mind. That was one particular laugh he had not expected to hear ever again and frankly, one he could have done without. He hoped with all of his heart that it was a pre-recorded message as he spun to face the source of the noise.

... and unfortunately, his worst fears were confirmed as he laid his eyes upon a most hideous sight, one that made him very glad that he had not eaten biological food before going into Ragnarok. Floating down from the shadows and into the soft light of the core was the figure of Dr Weil... or at least, he guessed it was Dr Weil.

But wasn't Dr Weil human?

"What are-? Why is-? How?"

He was obviously pained, the cone that once covered his head shattered into a myriad of pieces. But what was underneath was positively horrifying. He could see the human skin, the muscles underneath as large parts of Weil's face had been consumed to the bone. Yet, where biological bone should be there was mechanical parts, already pumping disgusting-looking sickly orange fluids all over the face, the flesh regenerating even as he stared.

"Welcome! You should be glad, I have reserved you a front seat to witness the end of the world!"

"Dr Weil! B-but how? Your tower was at the center of the Ragnarok's blast!"

The sheer disgust that was building up inside of him was making him recoil against his will. His face was deformed beyond all hope but there was also other feelings warring within him. His expression... he realized that Weil's expression was horrifying him. The sheer scale of Weil's madness and insanity was clear as day all over his half-consumed face, his gaze boring into Zero like a high-penetration beam. Whatever facade of sanity Weil had maintained before was gone as the... thing, whatever it was, that called itself Weil revealed itself to him in all of its horrific glory.

"Oh? That? As if that could have had a chance of destroying me. You cannot kill which can't die!"

"What are you, truly?"

"Oh? This?" Dr Weil uncrossed his arms revealed bony, decayed fingers where gloves had once been. Already, like the face, the dead, rotting flesh was forcibly being rebuilt by the machine parts. "Did my mechanical body startle you?"

Zero stared at Weil, his horror slowly leaving, his confidence returning as the reality of what he was seeing sunk in. Confidently, he stepped forward.

"So you are... no! You are..."

"What?" replied the horrible figure, crossing his arms again as he stared down at the robot in amusement. "Did you really think for a second that I was a Reploid? That you could fight me? Sorry to disappoint you but I am a pure human..."

"Neither human or Reploid... an abomination!" spat Zero.

"Even with a body like this!" interrupted Weil, his left, exposed eyeball bulging and twitching from the slight. "-I am still human. You see... when the Dark Elf took control of the Reploids and destroyed the Mavericks in the Elf Wars, the humans of the time modified me. They transferred all of my memories into data and then trapped my body into this armor with the power to rejuvenate me."

At this moment, Weil's gaze grew more intense, his entire body tensing as his rage built up. For all that he knew, Zero found that most Mavericks he had witnessed going utterly berserk looked more sane than him right now.

"Do... do you have any idea what that means? Even as time passes, my wounds never remain and my entire body keeps aging forever, never to die. They... they cursed me! Cursed me to wander the wastelands outside of civilization, cursed me to live in a world without light or nature! They banished me from Neo Arcadia, exiled me to suffer, my data memories forcing me to remember my so-called crimes every waking moment as the wasteland burnt my body without end!"

Weil's voice raised to an unpreceded intensity, the half-machine man almost shrieking as his rage boiled in a way that easily matched the late Omega's.

"Justice? Freedom? WORTHLESS! IDEALS!" he pointed at Zero, his bony, malformed arm shaking. "You! Reploids, you mere machines began a war a long time ago in the name of 'freedom'! And humans! Look... LOOK what they did to me! Driving me away while spouting the word 'justice' like idiotic half-brained parrots! And now... YOU would insist on saving them?"

"If you think I'm going to let you conqu-" Zero began his reply only to have Weil's voice increasing in volume again, covering most of it.

"PAH! Controlling the Reploids is nothing! The destruction of all mankind is only fleeting!"

At this moment, the demented former human's voice died down to a whisper yet for some reason, it sent a chill through the crimson Reploid's spine.

"Not quite alive... not quite dead... forever and ever, by my side. I will make you suffer a fate far greater than anything ever experienced before."

That was it. He had heard enough. Managing to gather his composure again, Zero began to march forward, his hand gripping the handle of his trusty Z-saber. "Oh pl-"

He was about to shut Weil up when the entire room began to shake much more violently than before. For a second, worry brushed in his mind. Had he wasted all of his time, letting Weil distract him long enough for the station to reach the point of no return?

...it was then, as the shockwaves grew more intense and threatened to throw him to the ground that he realized that the shaking was coming from inside the room and that Weil had began to glow an eerie white light. Zero shifted his hand to the holster of his Buster pistol instead, grabbing into it and aiming at Weil's chest. But the shaking was such that he couldn't get a good shot and as he pulled the trigger, the yellow beams slammed into the wall, well off of their mark. Why is the entire room shaking? Is that some kind of attack?

As the white light engulfed the Ragnarok core, Zero's eyes widened.

"You son of a-...!" he cursed under his breath, gathering his energy into his Buster. He had to stop Weil before he could-

SCRRRRREEEEEEEEEEAAAANK!

The noise was deafening as Dr Weil managed to tear the Ragnarok Core right out of the magnetic field that kept it afloat, overloading the machinery underneath and tearing the core into various pieces. The pieces spun all around Weil's frame before extending cables, connecting to his suit and slowly covering him. Before Zero's eyes, the deranged man absorbed the core, his damaged body disappearing as he repaired himself, taking on a new form. And just he might have guessed, the station slowed down for about a few seconds, the time the core had been disassembled, and resumed its furious fall toward the Earth as Weil became one with the core, using his own mechanical suit to keep it functional.

He should have seen a move like this coming! As if whoever had sent the Ragnarok tumbling down would rely on simply security systems knowing that the Legendary Reploid would be coming to disable its core.

"Now, Zero!" proclaimed Weil, his smirk clearly indicated that he knew he had just foiled Zero's plan. "I will teach you that there is nowhere for fools to run or hide. Fools must live under my rule and under my rule alone! And this, thanks to Ragnarok!"

"Zero! Dr Weil... he... he..." the communicator came to life. Ciel's shocked voice helped bring him back to reality. He was here to stop Ragnarok and he had wasted time letting Weil talk big.

"You saw everything?"

"Yes."

"How much time until the point of no return?"

"About ten minutes. But if he could survive a direct hit from Ragnarok..."

"So he can. But I doubt he can survive the pummeling I'm about to inflict on him. Just get ready to transfer me back. This will be a close one."

He ended the transmission and turned to Weil as he continued to float in front of him, gloating like an idiot. And well, that's what he is, just floating there making himself a giant target for him. He pointed the Buster at Weil's face, noticing that the merge had restored that silly glass cone that usually covered his head. Well, it wouldn't do so for long. He pulled the trigger, feeling the recoil as the pistol's nozzle flashed, a bright yellow beam thundering straight toward Weil. He never noticed that Zero had stopped listening. Well, until the yellow beam impacted violently against the orange glass that protected his forehead. Thrown backward by the hit, Weil's eyes bulged in shock as anger took hold of his body.

"Why you-!"

Zero smirked defiantly.

That was more than the elderly man could take. His expression melted into a malformed, enraged frown, his entire body shaking for a second. But quickly enough, his confidence returned as he returned the Reploid's smirk.

"So you spit upon me? Then so be it!"

Zero answered by shooting him again. But this time, when the beam was about to slam into Weil's head again, his entire frame blurred as he split into two and faded quickly before reappearing to the left, the beam continuing its trajectory and slamming harmlessly into the wall. Great, just what he needed. Weil can teleport.

Well, no matter, Elpizo could teleport too and he beat him. He aimed at Weil again, this time going for the chest. No use in targetting the smaller, harder to hit target and risk hitting air; time is of the essence in this case. He fired again. Again, Weil's figure split in two as he teleported out of the way. Zero swore under his breath.

As Weil reappeared, the crimson Reploid could see the smirk on the doctor's face. Well, it wouldn't be there for long! But then, the evil former human rose one of his arms, as if saluting. The movement was awkward and strangely stiff.

Then, suddenly, the teleportation effect appeared around the ceiling as Weil teleported in large rocks. The rocks hovered for a moment before Weil sent them flying toward Zero, somehow. His speed boosters in his boots activated as he dashed out of the way of the boulders. It was no great effort, really as the rocks were flying far more slowly than most of the projectiles that Zero were used to dodging usually.

The second that Zero avoided the rocks, Weil rose an eyebrow and held his hand in place, teleporting in more rocks. Once again, he sent them flying toward Zero who avoided them with the same ease. Doctor Weil further held the pose, this time teleporting much smaller rocks at a far faster rate and throwing them at a far higher speed.

Surprised, Zero was caught in the sudden attack and had one of the rocks slam straight into his chest. As he recoiled in relative pain, his systems assessed the damage... which turned out to be minor. To his surprise, those were mundane rocks, nothing actually properly weaponized. Compared to the kind of attack his body armor could shrug off, this was nothing and he could doubtlessly take this kind of attack all day with only minor stress upon his systems.

Why was Weil wasting his time teleporting in and throwing rocks at him? Still, this was convenient as he noticed that Weil was standing completely still, concentrating while he threw the rocks. He figured that the rocks must have a very high level of magnetic metals in them and that Weil was using his ability to manipulate machinery, the same he used on the Ragnarok Core, to throw the rocks. Well, this was for the best.

As Weil teleported in yet more rocks, Zero put back his Buster pistol in its holster and activated the Z-Knuckle enhancement for his arms. This time, when Weil sent the rocks hurtling toward the Reploid, Zero dashed toward Weil instead of away from him. And just as the last rock missed Zero, he leaped into the air and grabbed the long, blade-shaped armor plate that formed the front of Weil's suit. As Zero clung to him, Weil began to shake, the systems that allowed him to float obviously struggling; they were already taxed heavily from having the Ragnarok Core merged to the suit but with Zero's weight added on top, it was obviously too much for the systems.

"Why you LITTLE-! LET GO!" yelled Weil, waving his arms in a vain attempt at catching Zero, his suit's comically short legs kicking almost comically as he tried to throw him off. But none of Weil's limbs were long enough to catch him and gravity did its work, dragging both down.

As Zero's feet touched the floor, he put all of his strength into his arms and then slammed Weil back-first into the floor with one mighty swing. Stuck on the floor, Weil began waggling his limbs frantically, trying to get up and failing miserably. Zero's suspicions were confirmed; as big and powerful as his suit looked, it was not designed for combat and once grounded, he was essentially defenseless. Well, too bad for him.

Zero leapt into the air, unsheathing the Z-Saber. Then, he pointed the sword straight down and collapsed onto Weil's frame, landing right on his chest, the blade slamming straight into the doctor's face. As the green energy blade slammed into the glass cone, it cracked dangerously. Zero sheathed the Z-Saber with his right hand while he powered up the Z-Knuckle, Weil's eyes widening as he understood what Zero was about to do.

Zero slammed his fist, the speed and strength of the punch enhanced exponentially by the Z-Knuckle, squarely in the middle of Weil's face, on the spot where the Z-Saber had cracked the glass cone. Weil's entire frame shook as the crimson Reploid punched him straight on the nose. The second the punch impacted, Zero brought his other hand off the Z-Saber's handle and gave him a second punch, then a third, then a fourth. Weil looked almost like a turtle on its back as he twitched and struggled as Zero repeatedly punched him in the face, trying to make the glass cone cave in.

After a while of being pummelled humiliatingly by Zero, Weil's panic was finally overwhelmed by the rage that his predicament brought him, ironically allowing him to regain enough clarity to remember that he could teleport. As Zero wound up for yet another punch, Weil's expression turned back to a smirk and Zero ended up punching the floor as Weil teleported out of the way. Getting back up, he saw Weil floating back in position, confidently smiling despite the obvious damage to the glass cone protecting his head.

Once more, Weil held his hand forward, teleporting and hurling rocks toward Zero. Once more, the crimson Reploid effortlessly avoided the slow-moving boulders. As frustration began to creep up inside of the evil doctor, he decided to repeat his little trick with the smaller rocks but this time, Zero was ready for it. As the flurry of smaller projectiles flew toward him, Zero backed away and leaped through a gap in the barrage of rocks, the attack missing entirely.

"WHY WON'T YOU STOP MOVING?" yelled Weil, his frustration turning into berserk rage.

Zero did not bother answering. He dashed toward Weil and leaped again. However, Weil had learnt from the previous mishap as well and teleported away, Zero's hands grasping only thin air. The second he teleported back, he thrown another flurry of smaller rocks hoping for a quick hit but the red Reploid sidestepped the attack just as easily as last time, having expected the possibility of such a move.

Weil could not hurt him but Zero knew of a way to stop this stalemate before it wasted too much time. He deactivated the Z-Knuckle and took out the Buster pistol again, charging up one of the EX Skills that he had obtained. The viral data was gathered into the pistol and as Weil thrown yet another serie of rocks at Zero, he dashed underneath, aiming at Weil's chest and firing a single bullet at him.

The bullet was of a pale blue color as opposed to the usual yellow ones and although it didn't look that impressive, its blue light held an evil promise. As the bullet slammed into Weil's chest, the virus contained within the Time Stopper-type projectile got into action, jamming systems all over within Weil's armor and overloading the circuits, preventing him from moving.

Finding himself unable to move again, Weil was defenseless as Zero unsheathed the Z-Saber and leaped into the air, the energy blade glowing bright yellow, almost white, the fire-charged blade cutting through Weil's armor, causing major damage and setting fire to his black cape. Weil stared in shock as his precious, classy black cape was set on fire and as, once more, his suit's hovering systems failed miserably. The evil doctor swore loudly as he frantically used his teleportation ability to teleport water from elsewhere on the station, putting out the fire although unfortunately not before half of his cape became dust.

"M-my outfit! You worthl-"

Zero didn't care if Weil was upset that his gaudy, stupid-looking black cape had been damaged. He charged the Z-Saber with the opposite element and swung in front of him, sending a shockwave of intense cold air flying toward Weil. The strength of the impact sent Weil skidding backward, freezing the water he had used to put out the fire and preventing him from moving his arms. He struggled for a few seconds to keep his balance but much to his dismay, the very tiny, spike-shaped feet of his suit was more than insufficient to support the immense weight of his armor and once more, the evil doctor lost his balance and fell straight on his back.

Once again, Zero leaped on top of Weil, charging his Z-Knuckle. As he landed on top of the evil doctor, the red Reploid began to punch him repeatedly again, this time going for the articulations that connected the Ragnarok Core's upper hilt to Weil's shoulders. With the near-simultaneous impacts of extreme heat followed by extreme cold, the metal making up the armor was weakened and the armor began to crack under Zero's onslaught. Again, Weil prepared to teleport but this time, just as Weil got a hold of himself, Zero leaped off him and spun around before giving Weil a mighty kick straight to the head just as he teleported away.

Weil reappeared, eyes bulging as the impact resonated inside of the glass dome, instinctively trying to bring his hands to his ears to stop the ringing but finding that his bulky armor did not allow his arms to reach his head. And with the Ragnarok Core's handle covering most of the sides and back of his head, it wouldn't have done much good anyway.

As Weil shook his head and recovered, he began to feel nervous. Zero was making a total fool of him! It was obvious by now why Weil had never fought Zero by himself and had always kept hiding behind Omega and Craft; Weil's armor suit was designed as a fancy life-support system, not a battle-oriented battle suit. It lacked the mobility required to take on a serious opponent and it was now obvious that Weil had no built-in weapons on his suit at all. For one who had caused so much terror, he was turning out to be the most pathetic opponent Zero had faced since he had awakened.

It seemed like he had no choice.

Zero saw Weil try to teleport again but this time, he seemed to divide himself into four images instead of two. The images remained for a long time and it seemed like three of the four had their arms pointed toward the ceiling, as if doing something. The red Reploid quickly figured out that Weil was preparing a new trick of sorts and guessed that since the fourth image was not doing anything then whatever was going to happen, the spot where it was would be a safe spot.

Zero dashed toward it and it was a good thing as Weil solidified on the spot where the fourth image had appeared, a serie of giant knives falling from the ceiling on the spots where the other images had been. Zero smiled to himself, having defeated the attack but due to his position, never saw Weil take out a remote. He did hear Weil push the button on it, which made him realize he might have gotten overconfident.

The knives all sent a shockwave of electricity through the floor and although Zero jumped frantically and with precision to avoid each shockwave, he could not possibly avoid all of them and found himself shocked. His systems registered damage once again and his movement slowed down for a moment but as his systems finished analyzing the shock, he realized that the damage was once again minor and that the shockwave he had felt was just the correct intensity when fighting against humans. Against a robotic being like him, the shock he had felt was damaging but easily survivable.

This confirmed to him that Weil had no built-in weapons in his suit. Those must be the assassination knives he used to deal with people who bothered him back at Neo Arcadia. The fact that he had resorted to use them against him, despite the fact that they were not designed for use against a battle-worthy Reploid, served to boost Zero's confidence. Weil was running out of dirty tricks and had to be growing desesperate to use these.

And well, he knew exactly how to prevent Weil from using them to make a comeback. As Weil prepared to teleport the knives away to repeat the attack, Zero dashed through the field of blades, unsheathing the Z-Saber and charging electricity into it. He unleashed yet another EX Skill, passing straight through the blades, overloading them with electricity and destroying each one.

As he finished, he spun to face Weil.

"You will not win, you fool! I am almighty! I am unstoppable! I AM THE DEVIL! I AM-"

"You are a joke." interrupted Zero. "Really, that's all you got? Rocks and a bunch of fragile knives?"

Zero didn't even wait for an answer. He sheathed the Z-Saber again and took out the Buster pistol once again, charging it with energy from the ice element chip. Then, the front of the Buster pistol erupted in blue energy as it thrown a large javelin made of solid ice straight toward Weil. The javelin impacted straight into Weil's right shoulder, sending splinters of his armor flying as part of the armor broke down.

Weil's frustration and rage reached its breaking point. Not only was Zero openly taunting him but he was losing this fight! He couldn't lose it, he couldn't allow Zero to stop Ragnarok! His will shall be done no matter the cost!

"You have asked for it, you fool! Now witness my true power AND DESPAIR!"

Weil unleashed all of his power all at once, forming a large sphere of energy in front of him, gathering materials as he used his teleportation technique for the one attack that would bring down that bothersome red insect down once and for all.

Zero's confidence instantly disappeared as he saw the sphere and felt the shockwaves coming from it. He had the feeling that what Weil would throw at him next wouldn't be nearly as pathetic as his last attacks.

At this moment, a small dot of light left the sphere and placed in front of Zero before exploding. Zero thought that the attack had missed its mark but quickly realized that the dot had been, in truth, a beacon for a teleportation as he saw something take shape in front of him.

"What the-"

He couldn't keep it in. Before him was the shape of Blazing Flizzard, one of the Weil Numbers. He could recognize the flower-shaped head. But how could it be? He had killed him months ago!

It was then that he realized what that attack had been. Zero swore under his breath as he quickly dashed out of the way as the resurrected Reploid pointed his arm cannon at Zero, the cannon spewing a long line of flames toward him. Zero took out his Buster pistol and fired a shot at the red reptile-shaped Reploid...

...and was surprised when the Reploid collapsed into dust instantly upon impact.

Of course! Resurrecting a Reploid isn't that easy. The copy that Weil created was extremely unstable and upon being hit, collapsed instantly.

The fact that the sphere was so big did give him the feeling that this was only the beginning and much to his displeasure, was proven right as the sphere shrunk a bit, a second copy materializing, this time being one of Childre Inarabitta, that weird blue rabbit-like Reploid. He came down, ears covered in long blades of ice, spinning like a drill.

The copy exploded instantly upon impacting upon the ground but the impact caused a shower of ice shrapnel all over the place. Zero dashed out of the way, leaping over the debris as they bounced around the room. There was no time to rest though as the sphere shrunk further, the shape of Hellbat Schilt forming in front of him. The bat-like Reploid deployed his wings and began to fire small spheres of energy at him.

Zero quickly ducked underneath the barrage. He aimed his Buster and fired another shot, the bat-like apparition collapsing just as easily as the reptile-like one had.

It didn't end there as the second he finished destroying the copy, yet another one was spawned, this one appearing behind him. He spun to find him face-to-face with Deathtanz Mantisk, the gigantic praying mantis Reploid winding up for his own attack. Zero unsheathed his Z-Saber and just as the praying mantis Reploid swung with his scythe-like arms, the red Reploid side-stepped quickly and thrust his blade into the chest of the green Reploid. Like the others, all it took was one hit for him to vanish.

With the fourth apparition gone, the sphere collapsed and Weil reappeared once more. Weil stared in disbelief, panting as Zero stood before him in defiance. From the look on his face, it seemed that Weil had used up all of his energy in this last attack. Well, too bad for him.

Weil attempted to summon the energy to repeat the attack but Zero took out the Buster pistol and called upon his Tractor Shot EX Skill, sucking the energy that was destined for the attack into his pistol. Weil, noticing that the energy meant for his attack was going toward Zero's pistol, stopped smirking, his face turning to a color not unlike Zero's armor.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Zero could not defeat his final attack so easily! He couldn't possibly do this! Despite the growing exhaustion that was beginning to claim his entire body, Weil concentrated as hard as he could, unleashing all of his power to drag the energy toward the sphere that would cripple Zero. Yet, to his growing frustration, Zero simply clenched the trigger of his pistol harder, the Tractor Shot sucking in the energy harder.

With growing horror, Weil realized that what he was experiencing was no longer frustration but rather panic and fear. As panic gripped his entire body, human survival instincts kicked in, allowing Weil to draw upon energy reserves that neither his ego or his mechanical suit's sensors knew he ever had. For a moment, the small balls of energy destined to build up either of the two's attacks shook as both tried to absorb them.

"N... N...! N-NO... NOOO!" Weil couldn't believe it! Zero cannot do this to him! He just cannot! "N-N-N... Wha-NO!"

Weil's eyes bulged as he felt a blank shockwave through his body. This strange feeling that he was experiencing was merely the feeling as his mechanical suit, already overtaxed trying to keep his decayed body alive and the damaged Ragnarok Core running, finally ran out of energy and failed. As Weil's grip slipped over the spheres, all of the energy was sucked into Zero's Buster pistol, forming a large, fat green sphere.

"Yo-you can't do this to me!" protested Weil, panting, in complete denial of the inevitable.

Well, denial or not, the inevitable did come and did so in the form of a large, destructive green energy sphere as Zero fired, aiming straight at the frontal armor plate on Weil's suit. This did it and the blade-shaped frontal armor cracked under the strength of the impact, Weil's hovering systems failing for the last time as he fell to the floor.

Zero switched to the fire element and gathered energy for the finishing hit before unleashing the Burning Shot EX Skill, sending a large fiery ball toward the doctor.

The large, white sphere slammed straight in the middle of the blade-like armor plate and exploded violently. The extreme heat finally finished off the weakened armor, causing the armor plate to bend under the extreme heat, circuitry breaking apart and melting into a dysfunctional mess within. The large, burning shrapnel from the shot splashed all over Weil's armor, cutting it like butter, slamming into the sensitive circuits within and even reaching Weil's flesh, setting it on fire. The glass cone protecting Weil's face, splashed with more shrapnel and pieces of his breaking armor, finally caved in, the glass pieces falling off and the life-support liquid in which his head was contained streaming down his chest as the fiery shrapnel set his head on fire.

As his entire body was set on fire, his armor beginning to explode from the countless system failures that it was suffering, Zero couldn't help but recoil as Weil cried out in pure, demented agony, his flesh being literally barbecued inside of his own armor, the stench of burning flesh filling the air. Trashing frantically in a desesperate attempt to put out the fire that was killing him, Weil lost his footing for the final time and fell down on a weakened part of the floor. He broke straight through the floor and disappeared from sight.

As Weil's figure finally vanished, the entire room began to shake as the walls began to crack. All around him, Zero saw the station beginning to break apart. As the ceiling was torn off along with the walls, the communicator came to life.

"Zero! Come in please!"

"Ciel! What's the status down there?"

"With the Ragnarok Core damaged beyond repair, the entire station is breaking apart. You did it, Zero!"

The walls all around Zero came apart in a deafening noise, flames rising everywhere. Zero could see the Earth from here and he concluded that the sooner he's off this thing, the better.

"Alright, prepare to transfer me back! Do it n-"

Despite the sheer noise that was hammering him due to the room now being opened to space, the explosion was still so deafening that it covered his voice and threw him to the floor. Zero pushed into the floor, getting back to his feet as the spot through which Weil had fallen had exploded. What that had been about?

Zero wished from the depths of his heart that this was merely Dr Weil's suit finally exploding upon impacting the lower deck of the Ragnarok. But he guessed that wishing for this was in vain as he saw Weil's figure rise from the hole, mangled almost beyond recognition. Villains never, ever went down upon being killed once. Somehow, having delusions of owning or conquering the world always gave one the ability to somehow survive exploding and to come back under the form of an oversized mechanical monstrosity and much to Zero's displeasure, it seemed that this was the case with Weil as well. The big problem here is that unlike when he faced Copy-X, Elpizo, and Omega, he did not have time to waste fighting a second form.

"GyaRG YARGH AAARG AAARG HA! F-F-FOOL! I... I told you! I can't die! I! CANNOT! DIE!"

Yeah, it was a tendency of bad guys to do this but still, Zero could barely believe it. Weil's suit was pretty much just a collection of half-molten, warped metal plates that somewhat mimicked a mix between a humanoid figure and a sword. Big parts of the plating were gone, revealing the rotten, burnt bones underneath and if Weil's face had been hideous before, almost none of his traits were recognizable anymore. His throat was basically cut wide open, preventing him from even talking correctly.

"Zero! The station has reached critical speed! If it goes any faster, we won't be able to get a lock on you with the transporter! Hurry!"

Zero glared at Weil, a mix of frustration and exasperation rising inside him.

"What do you think you're going to do? Transform into some ridiculous misshapen giant mechaniloid? Your precious Ragnarok is falling apart. You've lost Weil."

"You... you'rgl think... SO? Weeell... weee shallgl see about THAAAT!"

The explosion that ensued was much less impressive as the back of Weil's armor was sent flying, exposing two giant cables but it was still noticeable enough to catch Zero's attention. What was Weil playing at? What did he hope to achieve by trying to keep fighting? The Ragnarok Core is scrap, he lost. The red Reploid had Ciel and all of the others awaiting for him back home. If Weil wants to transform, that it's his decision but he got no intention of fighting it. Weil will burn up on re-entry anyway unless he teleport away and when he does, there will be no one left to protect him. He'll be lucky if the Resistance gets their hands on him first.

So he was not impressed when the cables slammed into the deck nearby. What did upset him was when the floor began to rumble even more violently, if that was possible. He became even more upset when the floor erupted into a flurry of cables. Cables, giant ones, almost everywhere, Weil glowing in the same eerie white light as when he merged with the Ragnarok Core. It was then that Zero realized what Weil was doing it.

Weil's body disappeared in a flurry of cables that engulfed him and dragged him down and then, merely a few seconds later, he emerged again... or something to that effect.

Weil had somehow connected himself to the station's deck, seemingly thousands of cables now molten and crossing together to form what seemed to be a solid mass of metal with Weil's head stuck in a small mouth. Pieces of his cape, now enlarged and forming giant blades, stuck from every side. Zero wasn't sure how to describe it besides using the word 'ugly'. And as if it couldn't become more grotesque, some of the cables emerged in the form of giant tentacle-like blades and a gigantic horn erupted from the top, hundred of red eyes forming and staring at him while Weil's head disappeared underneath a new orange barrier, forming a large eye of sorts.

"Hmph! Another villain who wastes time transforming into giant mechaniloids. Well, Weil can have his fun all by himself with his new form. Ciel, you can still achieve a lock with the transporter?"

"Zero... the station! It stopped breaking apart!"

And that was the last thing Zero wanted to hear. He glared at the... thing... that used to be Weil, the thing glaring at him with all of its bajillion eyes. He had the feeling that Weil was smirking knowingly underneath that new fancy orange glass barrier of his.

"Hehehe! HAHAHA! How do you like this, you worthless piece of scrap? Now, nobody can stop Ragnarok!"

"That's fine, Ciel." he said, ignoring Weil. "If I can destroy Weil's core, the Ragnarok Core will break down again and the whole station will fall to pieces."

"But... what about you?" Ciel was pointing out a very important point. He was basically out of time here.

"Bwahahaha! Are you even capable of it!" Zero glared into the Weil Core's orange eye, wishing that it hadn't restored Weil's ability to talk coherently. "The Reploid hero... Protecting justice and humanity! I am one of those humans you were sworn to protect! Do you have it in you to defeat me! How will the people see the sacrifice of their hero? To sacrifice himself to kill a human! For your final act to be one of hypocrisy!"

"I don't ever remember calling myself a hero. I always only fought for those I believed in. If an enemy appears, I will not hesitate. I will destroy it. And if you think I'm going to give you the honor of taking me down with you, you are gravely mistaken. You are just another enemy. Nothing less and definitely nothing more!"

Weil screamed something but Zero didn't pay attention, instead listening to his communicator.

"Zero! The point of no return will be reached in thirty seconds! There is no time left!"

Zero stared deep into Weil's eye. He knew that he wanted him to stay, wanted him to fight and give his life for him. And well, he needed to save Area Zero. But everyone was waiting for him. He remembered the conversation he had with Ciel, the promise he made to her. They were waiting for him to return... if he didn't, he would be letting them down just as badly as if he failed to stop Weil.

It was then that all those thoughts made a latent memory of his stir. An idea flashed into his mind. There was a very specific reason why the station had stopped falling apart, why the Ragnarok Core was so important that Weil would be so desesperate to save it in such a manner.

"Ciel! The core! Will it burn up in the atmosphere?"

"What? Zer-"

"Will it burn up in the atmosphere!"

"N-no! Unless you destroy it-"

"Don't transport me. I'll come back on my own."

"B-but-! Only ten seconds-"

"I won't give my life up for that nutcase. Believe in me, Ciel."

There was a long pause and as Zero calculated the time, the critical point was finally reached.

"I... I will."

"Thank you. Zero, out."

He ended the transmission and looked up Weil's sole orange eye. He was screaming at him, ranting about stuff he didn't care. It ends now.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING? I am sublime, I am magnificent, I am-"

Zero leaped and swung his Z-Saber with all of his strength. Although the large claw that was in front of the eye was not damaged by the strike, protecting Weil's weak point successfully, it did manage to get the villain's attention. Realizing that indeed Zero had not listened to even a single word, Weil screamed in pure rage, the claw lowering as he gathered energy inside of the central eye.

That turned out to be a mistake as Zero jumped and struck again, this time slamming the blade straight into the monstrosity's eye, causing the liquid surrounding Weil's head to stir.

"I will annihilate you! YOU! YOU AND ALL OF THE WORMS WHO WRONGED ME!" the scream was so loud that the sound wave pushed Zero back slightly. It was an inconvenience and the few energy balls and sparks that the eye shot out were quickly evaded.

"Look at yourself, 'hero'! You thrown away your chance at saving yourself and then told me you don't care about sacrificing yourself? HYPOCRITE! YOU ARE THE SAME AS THEM! THE SAME!"

As his rantings continued, Weil pointed the claw at Zero, as if pointing. The claw somehow grew spikes and flew toward the red Reploid. Zero side-stepped and pointed his Buster pistol at the orange eye, putting bullet after bullet straight into its center.

As the claw returned to its position, Weil decided to change strategy. His eyes began to glow and he lowered his entire frame, gathering more power.

"I gave you a chance Zero! I gave you a chance to give yourself up, to join me, to accept your fate! But you, and all of the others, you blew your chance! Then your second chance! Then the one after that! Evil, selfish? You call me selfish? I have been merciful upon you, the ruler that you needed! If you will not have me as your god, then so be it! I AM WHAT YOU MAKE ME TO BE! I AM THE DEVIL!"

Zero jumped just as Weil fired, a giant stream of energy erupting from the core's central eye. Logically, Zero should have no been able to dodge it but the red Reploid had activated the Z-Knuckle and then grabbed into the horn.

"Wha-? What are you doing? Let go!"

The gigantic figure rose itself and tried to shake off the Reploid but just as Zero had predicted, Weil was barely mobile in this form. Zero used his other hand and slammed his fist straight into one eye, shattering it. Weil let out a screeching scream of pain as one of his eyes were taken out but he had barely let it out that Zero climbed forward on the horn, destroying each eye as he made his way toward the central eye.

"GYAAARG!-AAAARG!-NO! STOP THA-AAAAARRRG! MY-MY EYESEAAAARK!" the figure twitched uncontrollably as Zero continued the systematic destruction of Weil's ocular systems, seemingly not even hearing him.

Yet, this gave the villain an opportunity. As Zero approached the central eye, he found himself straight at the correct height for a second blast to hit him. Falling silent for a second as he attempted to ignore the pain from his other eyes' destruction, Weil charged a second blast and then, as Zero jumped on the central eye and gripped it, he unleashed the full fury of the blast.

Zero's entire frame glowed as the energy surged through his body, Weil mercilessly shocking him.

"HA! WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? Those who oppose me will only face the worse of all f-"

Zero should have been in pain, begging for mercy or at least acknowledging the damage. But instead, Zero simply took his sword and stabbed it into the central eye, obviously trying to reach Weil's head underneath the barrier. Rage surged inside of Weil as he stared at Zero. His hatred grew, mixed with confusion as he saw Zero's expression. His face was cold, focused, determined. It was not anything special, the same expression he had when cutting down any other enemy...

...the same expression he had when cutting down any other mundane enemy...

BUT HE'S NOT A MUNDANE ENEMY! He is Dr Weil, the ruler of the world, the sublime, almighty one who destroyed all before him!

"WHY? WHY! WHY DON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME! I AM !" Despair began to fill his mind as Weil realized that Zero would not stop and that he couldn't stop him. He had discharged enough energy into Zero to kill almost any Reploid and the crimson Reploid had shrugged it off as if it was raindrops.

Zero leaped away from Weil, panting as he ducked for a moment, tinkering with his own systems and absorbing the content of a sub-tank. Once the life-giving energy surged through his body, Zero got back on his feet, preparing to resume his relentless assault. The villain screamed at the top of his lungs, firing green sparks uncontrollably all over the place. Even after transforming, Weil was still the most pathetic opponent Zero had faced. Weil had obviously no idea of how to manage his energy and despite his new form's size and raw power, he had absolutely no idea how to use it and wasted all of his power on screaming and shooting small projectiles that barely fazed the red Reploid. Even that last blast had been nothing that soaking up the content of a sub-tank couldn't undo.

Zero didn't even slow down as Weil directed the giant, scary-looking sparks toward him. He simply took out the Z-Saber and sliced them in two, not even bothering to stop his dash to do so. Despite pumping out all of the power he could draw out of the Ragnarok station into this body and his attacks, Weil's mind was still filling with the echoes of alarms as his body broke apart, the systems of his new form failing one by one.

Zero leaped and grabbed into the central eye again, finding himself face-to-face with the former human once more. Disbelief was all over the doctor's face as he stared into his nemesis's eyes.

"To... to perish under the blade of a worthless metallic puppet mistaking itself for a man!" his traits hardened as he glared at the red Reploid. "Perish! Perish forever!"

"Dream on, Weil." Zero's reply chilled the villain to the core. And for some reason, Zero sheathed his sword, drawing his face closer to the cracked glass.

"You know, Weil... you told me you always wanted to 'survey all that lies before you'. I didn't forget. Well, I think I'll grant your wish."

Weil stared back. This made no sense. But at this moment, as Zero's arm glowed in the characteristic light that shown that he had activated the Z-Knuckle, Weil understood.

"N-NO! DON'T DO THIS! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

Zero slammed his fist through the central eye causing it to burst like a melon being tested by an old lady at a supermarket, the life-support liquid splattering all over the place as shards of glass were sent flying. Zero plunged his hand deep within and gripped the malformed head of the villain while he plunged the other arm deep inside the warped circuits, grabbing into the human's shoulder. Then, with one mighty effort, Zero pulled with all of his strength.

Zero torn Weil right out of the Ragnarok Core, hurling his frame off of the platform. Weil's face deformed into an agonized scream as the mechanical suit that had kept him apart for so long disintegrated all around his frame, his pathetic, skeleton-like frame coming free. As the floor just underneath him gave away, Weil's wish to 'survey all that lies before him' came true as he stared at the Earth from orbit for about 0.0512 second before the friction from the atmospheric re-entry vaporized his eyes and boiled his skin. Barely a second later, his horrifying visage as well as all of his flesh, turned to a fine mix of carbon dust and detached from his skeleton. A further second later, his bones were thoroughly carbonized and scattered into the atmosphere.

With Weil gone, the various cables that had connected the Ragnarok Core to the station began to come apart, the station beginning to explode all around Zero. He was way past the point of no return and he knew that Ciel could no longer save him... not that she would need to.

A latent memory had entered his mind. He had remembered that this had not been the first time he had been in such a situation and in a flash of foresight, had figured why Weil had merged with the Ragnarok Core.

With Weil gone, Zero pulled himself inside of the cavity where his frame once was. Even using this trick and despite finishing off Weil so quickly, he knew that his time left to save himself could be counted in seconds. It was going to be a close one. As he crawled into the Ragnarok Core, Zero unsheathed his Z-Saber and slammed it into the ceiling of the cavity where the central eye used to be, collapsing the cavity and sealing it. He then sheathed his sword and took out his pistol, switching to the fire element. He quickly used the extreme heat from the pistol's fire element, sealing up the cavity as fast as he could.

Once he was sure he had done everything he could, he placed the pistol back in the holster and held into the cables surrounded him as tightly as he could, preparing for the impact. The Ragnarok Core would survive atmospheric re-entry but even from within it, his chances of survival weren't good. Still, he had made a promise to Ciel and he intended to fulfill it.

Zero closed his eyes, bracing for the impact.

Then, after what seemed to be forever, he heard a deafening sound. The nature of the sound didn't really register because the impact causing him to recoil and hit his head against the ceiling of the cavity, knocking him unconscious.

* * *

"Ragnarok... is... breaking apart... Ragnarok has entered the atmosphere. Most of it will burn up on entry... Impact with Area Zero has been averted. Mission... successful..."

"Zero! Come in Zero! Zero... please... Come in..."

"There's no response from the receiver... The connection has been lost..."

Ciel stared at the screen. Zero had asked her if the Ragnarok Core would burn up upon re-entry and they had lost contact with him just as he had thrown Weil out of it only to crawl into it and seal himself inside.

"It is possible that the connection is jammed by the Ragnarok Core..."

"Miss Ciel. The chances of survival..."

She wouldn't hear this! Not now! Especially not now!

"At which coordinates will the Ragnarok Core land?"

The operator sighed and fell silent for a moment. Ciel stared silently as in the trailer, the various Resistance members got to work determining where it would land. Before long, the estimated location was displayed on the primary screen.

He had risked everything for them. He couldn't die, not now. Especially not now...

"Dispatch a team to search the area once it has landed."

* * *

"Zero..."

Zero slowly opened his eyes. All around him was light. He couldn't see, couldn't move. Yet before him was a figure. A strange one. It was human and the voice... it reminded him of Dr Weil. But... no. The way he had been called. It was too... confident, determined...

"My masterpiece..."

Masterpiece? But who... could he...

"After him! He is my nemesis. Our rivalry is what gives me motivation in life. Now go! Destroy him! That's an order."

The light slowly began to dim down and he recovered his senses. All around him, he could feel the touch of metal, the feel of cables and the smell of burnt materials. He couldn't move, his entire body hurting. Before him, the strange human figure began to change and before long, he saw what seemed to be a Reploid.

The Reploid was vaguely familiar. The shape... it reminded him of... a friend... one not unlike X.

"That... was what I said, back then." the voice was youthful and yet, the feeling was the exact same. He could see nothing from him, nothing but...

The eyes and the crystal on the forehead. There was a purple energy within, swirling endlessly, burning like a flame...

"I didn't expect you to survive. You are more resourceful than I had predicted. Still, your efforts are meaningless, futile."

"Who... are you?"

The figure seemed to smile. He couldn't see it proper but he could decipher it on his face. But the smile it was... cold, cruel. It reminded him somehow of Weil and yet, it woke up a nameless fear within him. This was an enemy... ancient and terrible, maybe even more than Weil had been.

"Maybe you will know someday... should you live. You are a disappointment. To think I called you my masterpiece once... still, you served your purpose."

The figure approached him and stopped near him, kneeling as he observed the machinery within which Zero was stuck.

"What are you doing?"

The figure merely smirked. "Someday... you will see. The data gathered here will change the world."

The strange Reploid got up and stared down at him. "Good bye... old friend."

"Wait! Who are you?"

The figure ignored the crimson Reploid, turning and walking away. As the mysterious figure grew smaller and disappeared in the horizon, Zero's view began to blur and his thoughts faded, unconsciousness claiming him once again. Yet, the sleep that came did not erase the feeling of dread that filled his entire being. Zero suddenly had the feeling that he had witnessed something incredibly important, a piece of the larger, hidden picture. Yet, somehow, he had the feeling that once more, whenever the first time had happened, he was once again missing the details...

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	2. Between eras

**OFF:** What has kept me from updating for so freakin' long? Simple. I've been working on an actual novel and as such, has cut back on my fanfiction and freeware productions. Likewise, I have dealt with real life issues.

I've adjusted my schedule now and now have a bit of time to spend on my fanfics. Before posting the next chapter, I've however decided to revisit one of my earlier chapters due to it being a bit weak. I've rewriten the last scene from scratch and hopefully, it should prove much better.

**EDIT:** It has been so long... so many reviews, so much time... anyway, sorry for not posting a new chapter but real life has been hectic and many of my projects, including real life important ones, have eaten away at my ability to write and post fanfiction. Likewise, it does not help that 's upload feature seems bugged and refuse to include any words beyond the few first paragraphs when I do a file upload.

Anyway...

I've re-read my fic and I admit that one point that always bothered me is the interlude. For new readers, I won't elaborate too much but the way it ended made the characters look incompetent and I decided to change the end scene completely. Likewise, I've done some minor rewrites all over the chapter. Don't fear though ; the next chapter has been started and will be completed. My update speed won't be as great as it was at my peak but I do plan to resume updating ; the major reason for my lack of updates lies mostly with me writing original fiction.

I hope you enjoy the remade scene!

* * *

**Interlude**

**Between eras**

* * *

"And remember to study chapter seven. This conclude today's lesson on the Ragnarok Wars. Any questions?"

Everyone in the room hastened to get up and leave, no questions coming up as usual. He couldn't help but sigh as he watched them leave. He had a reputation for being one of the most boring teachers in all of the university and every day just prove it to him. For a second, he wondered why they bothered to pick his classes if they found them boring but then, he knew that students tended to pick throwaway subjects on occasion to fill up their schedules and his classes happened to be good material for throwaway subjects.

The good point was that with the class finding itself empty within record times, he was left alone to his own devices. This was the day's last class and now, he could get home... not that there was much to look forward to. He had a literal pile of correction to go through and he had just received his new paycheck. With some luck, the administration will have fixed the problem with it and it won't bounce but then, who is he kidding? It will just bounce like all of the others.

As he made his way outside, he stopped to observe the horizon. The city had grown since he had first arrived. Skyscrapers and other buildings of all types had popped all over the place and what had once been a tiny settlement had grown into a full-fledged city. It was a bit hard to believe that at one time, this entire area was a lifeless desert but the truth was staring him in the face, the breeze blowing into his long, blonde hair. It was a peaceful place but then, that was not surprising. Apart from a few rumors of Maverick attacks and a news reports on minor problems here and there, the world had been at peace for more than two hundred years now.

Mavericks... he snorted at the blatant misuse of the word. Legion, just like Neo Arcadia before it, used the word to qualify Reploids who didn't follow its rules. The meaning had been narrowed sure but still, it bothered him deeply. Especially considering what it was that Legion blamed upon the Reploids it called 'Mavericks'.

But then, the world was at peace. What more could he ask for?

As he begun the journey toward the bank to deposit his newest paycheck, he made the list within his mind. It was surprisingly immense, not all of it mundane.

* * *

He couldn't help but sulk in his chair as he thought back about what had happened at the bank. Yep, as predicted his paycheck had bounced again. The worst thing was that it was the most exciting thing that had happened during the whole day.

He watched the television for a moment, the huge screen displaying a news report. Yet one more rumor of a minor outbreak that had been thwarted before it had even begun... if it could be even called one. A Maverick had been spotted at Area Zero. Apparently, an old couple had noticed that their neighbor had not aged in the last twenty years and called Legion's police force. An investigation had revealed that the Reploid had disabled his mortality protocol. Once the Legion forces dispatched Galleon Hunters to his home, he ran away and disappeared, the threat averted.

The whole story made him uneasy. This reeked of Neo Arcadian behavior and he hated it. He wasn't sure if the increasing frequency of such reports was due to the news network running out of stuff to say, if an increasing number of Reploids, humans, and Humanoids were growing unhappy with the mortality protocol, or if the law was beginning to be enforced more vigorously. Whatever it meant, it made him uneasy and he turned off the television to stop the announcer's constant moaning and whining about how 'evil' and 'selfish' that Reploid had been.

Frankly? He could understand the feeling. He got up and approached a nearby table on which he had placed a particular photo. Grabbing it, he looked at it intently, feelings surfacing within his mind. On the photo a man with long blonde hair and a red shirt, standing next to a young blonde woman in a pink outfit, three children standing in front of them. He knew that the man in this photo was him and that this photo represented the best years of his life. But that had been many long years ago. It was gone now, Legion had seen to that.

He sighed loudly, feeling very empty inside. She was still out there but he couldn't see her again. If they reunited then people would start to ask questions, questions which would reveal that he had been swapping identities for centuries and that he was one of those so-called 'Mavericks'. Although he didn't care what the world think of him, she would lose her career, her friends, everything... and he couldn't do this to her.

He put back the photo, feeling immensely frustrated. He thought he had found a clever way to exploit those dumb flashbacks he continued to have, his memory still not fully recovered but people didn't care. People wanted to forget about the pain of the past, about the wars and the mistakes. History logs were still kept but it was obvious that if they could help it, they'd delete them and be done with it. It was a dangerous attitude and it made all sorts of mental alarms echo.

But two hundred years and more had passed and the world was still at peace. The Neo Arcadia case had not been repeated, apparently. This truly was an utopia... or so it seemed.

Maybe he just hadn't found his place yet. He'd just need to swap identities again and try again.

BZZZZZT!

The electronic noise brought him out of his thoughts.

As he opened the door and stared outside, he saw two figures covered in green fatigues, gaudy pink visors covering their eyes, their clothes covered with ancient-style radio equipment. He recognized the uniforms instantly. They were Guardians, members of the organization that Ciel had created. In short, what the Resistance had become once what they had been resisting for years had vanished.

"Mister Roze?"

"Yes?"

"I am Requin and this is Corrail." said the taller of the two Guardians, his tone flat and bored as he shown the man his identification piece, proving that they were indeed Guardians. "You're familiar with our organization?"

"Yes."

"Apparently, our leader, Dr Ciel, wishes to speak with you. If you'd just follow us..."

The two Guardians glared at mister Roze as he stood there, staring blankly, as if in disbelief. Frankly, they couldn't understand why Ciel had asked specifically for this man in particular. He didn't seem anything special, if you did not count his incredibly long blonde hair that made him look girly, if one asked them. From the files, he was an ordinary teacher with no formal training or aptitudes for anything. Why would Ciel ask so urgently to find him? Did he have some data they needed or something?

Bah, they guessed it wasn't their business to ask questions. The higher-ups of the organization had begun to act rather strangely lately. Ciel had been nervous and Serpent, normally very collected, had begun to grow rather restless. Something was obviously going on but how is a lousy history teacher with long blonde hair going to help them?

"Yes yes, of course! Do I need to bring anything with me?"

"No. Just follow us."

That had been very strange indeed. For some reason, the man's eyes had lit up when they had said that Ciel wished to speak with him. In fact, the way he followed them, it was very strange. He was walking very quickly, his steps measured. Okay, so it was only a minor detail but normally, one wouldn't expect a history teacher to be especially fit physically and this man was following them with an ease that was not typical of civilians.

The trip to the nearest Transerver station took no time at all and before long, the three entered the structure. The blonde-haired man stared at the machine for a moment. Civilians were not usually allowed to use them and as such, it had been countless years since he had been allowed near one. This brought back memories for a moment and he couldn't help but smile. They had upgraded the things a few times obviously since he had last used one but as the shorter of the two Guardians walked into it, the thing activated and prove to him that they still worked the same way, they were just now much faster to charge up.

As the taller Guardian gestured to him, the man did not hesitate and stepped in the teleporting device. So many questions were assaulting his mind but he repressed them for now. He would get the opportunity to get answers when he'd see her...

* * *

"I still say that it's a very bad idea. Whatever that 'Biometal W' is, the radiations it emits are unhealthy. We all saw the effects it had on the test subjects..."

"We all know about your concerns, Mer, but things are not peaceful out there. We have evidence that the Maverick outbreaks around the world are not mere coincidences and we cannot ignore the growing number of anomalies."

"Serpent, if there is a new enemy out there, then why don't we investigate those patterns and engage it? This is what the Guardians are for. Why should we need to risk our lives by exposing ourselves to that thing?"

Ciel sighed loudly. The meeting had once more degenerated into an argument. Well, she had to defuse the situation now before it became complete pandemonium.

"Mer, I understand your concerns but the Guardians are not as they once were. Our forces are limited and we do not have the funds, equipment, and trained personnel to engage an enemy on the scale that Dr Weil was. And considering the pattern, it is obvious that we are facing one such opponent once more. We will need an edge. An edge that only complete understanding of the 'Biometal' will bring us."

"But what good is your 'edge' if that Biometal W thing kills us all in the process?"

"This is exactly why we didn't depart now." answered Ciel. "We know of a Reploid who has an immunity to the Biometal's effects. We have sent agents to bring him to our base as we speak. He will help us."

"Oh and how do you know if he will help us?" asked Mer, obviously doubtful.

Ciel was confident he would help them. She was sure he would do it, there was not even a shadow of a doubt in her mind about it.

"He will do it. I am sure of it."

Ciel felt the communicator on her wrist beginning to shake slightly. She activated it, watching at the tiny screen as it displayed the written message she had been waiting for.

"This meeting is over."

As everyone got up, Ciel couldn't help but feel an extra spring in her step. He was here. Despite the situation, despite the circumstances in which they would meet again, the mere fact that they would meet again was making her entire body feel lighter.

And as she entered the main deck of the Guardian base, she saw him. He was almost the exact same as when he had left. For a moment, his expression was one of disbelief, one that she didn't know mirrored her own. Then, slowly, hesitantly, she stepped forward just as he did.

For a long moment, the two of them were silent. It had been such a long time, so many years that it felt almost unreal. Memories flowed as did emotion. She wanted to run up to him, to welcome him back, to tell him about everything that had happened. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so much she wanted to do. She had never realized before just how much she had missed him.

But she could not do so. Officially, he had died long ago and although Serpent, Mer, and the others in her inner circle knew the truth, jumping into his arms would blow her cover for the whole organization and by extension, risk getting herself branded Maverick by Legion. Likewise, the blonde Reploid could guess that it was not the wisest thing ever to just run toward one that he officially never met before. And although emotions warred within him, cold rational thinking told him that as overjoyed as she obviously was, she was not risking her career, life, and social status just to see him.

So the two simply smiled and shook hands, reining in their emotions.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, mister-?"

"Roze."

"Mister Roze. Welcome to Guardian HQ, Area X."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, miss-?"

"Ciel."

Everyone was staring by now. The way the two had looked at each others, it had been strange. It was as if the two somehow knew each others. Serpent stood by the doorway of the meeting room, watching silently while the others begun to move again. He knew Ciel well and he had already guessed that although she had tried to hide it, her initial reaction had shown it more than enough. Although most of the organization ignored it, Serpent knew very well that Ciel was a Maverick, a human who had accepted mechanical augments but had refused to apply the mortality protocol that went with them. He knew for he, too, was a Maverick and he could guess that if Ciel reacted in such a way, then this Roze person was probably a fellow Maverick whom she had met before he had joined the Guardians.

Serpent continued to watch as Ciel and Roze walked away. He noticed that no one was following them. This was rare; usually, Ciel met with people when surrounded by personnel, if only for security purposes. This meant that she trusted him and was going to show him something that was for his eyes only.

"Hmmmm... mister Serpent?"

He looked down and blinked a few times. It was the lowest-ranked Guardian, carrying a mop. A flunker, a recruit with no real talent who constantly messed up during missions and as such, was kept around to clean up the ship instead. For a moment, he wondered what he wanted with him before he realized that he was still standing in the door frame. Serpent cringed at the obvious goof. He was extremely tall and very wide, all of his frame blocking off the path.

"Sorry."

He side-stepped out of the way, adjusting his green trench coat. He glanced to the room Ciel had brought this man to, wondering what they could be talking about...

* * *

His eyes widened as he stared at the content of the capsule. He turned back to Ciel, not sure what to say. Her smile was saying it all.

He approached it and brushed his fingers against the glass as he took a better look inside. The crimson color on the chest plate, the shape of the helmet, the design of the gloves and boots and, of course, the various holsters on it...

"You kept it all intact..."

"Yes, we kept your equipment intact ever since the day you left."

The blonde haired man approached the table near the capsule. He grabbed the Buster pistol, memories flowing into his mind. The weapon was a bit heavier and was so shiny as to look brand new but apart from that, it was the very weapon he had left behind. He could even see the name inscribed upon it. 'Milan', the name of its previous owner, one he had never erased out of respect for his sacrifice. It was thanks to him that he had awakened in the first place.

Likewise, he could see his other two weapons on the table, both cleaner than they had ever been. He put down the Buster pistol and picked up the Z-Saber. His body tensed, the man taking on a pose he had taken so many times in the past, swinging the weapon as he tested its weight and balance. The weapon was the exact same as he remembered, the grip firm and solid.

He placed it back on the table and took a good look at the Z-Knuckle. It had changed a lot compared to the others, with far less circuitry covering the glove. It was obvious that she had done more than merely keeping it all intact, she had outright upgraded it while he was gone.

"And I've also seen that you've been keeping busy since I left. You have always been a natural leader, Ciel."

"And you've always been lousy with coming up with false identities, isn't it 'mister Roze'?"

The Reploid's face turned to a color not unlike the armor that used to belong to him as the woman mocked him. She didn't leave it there and continued, much to his embarrassment.

"And a history teacher? I never pictured you as one, even when I was thinking of what you could do in a time of peace."

"Hey! I had to make use of those stupid flashbacks somehow!"

"I know, I was just teasing you." she replied, amused by his reaction.

The silence that came slowly made the Reploid calm down. As feelings mixed inside him, he knew that there had to be a reason why he was here, why she had broken the vow they had made to protect each others. But he decided, just like she did, that whatever the reason was for the reunion, they hadn't felt happy like this in a hundred years.

"I guess you want me to put back the armor and take up my weapons again." he said, his tone serious again.

"The world is not peaceful out there. Legion does its best hiding the situation but..."

"It's Neo Arcadia all over again."

He had guessed it, guessed it for a long while. It had to be. He remembered the news bulletin he had seen this morning. It was madness, paranoia. He didn't know the extend of it but he was about to find out, he guessed.

"Yes. In the areas directly controlled by Legion, peace seems to be in effect but Maverick attacks have been multiplying all over the place and by that, I mean real Mavericks, old definition of the word. Which is a reason for my concerns. The Mother Elf's intervention as well as the immunities of new-generation Reploids made the emergence of true Mavericks impossible many hundred years ago. Yet, recently, for the first time in centuries, people have started to go berserk, outright becoming Mavericks. Needless to say, this shouldn't be happening in the first place and yet, it is. But there is more..."

She paused and took out a small device with a screen on it, placing it on the table. It displayed a map of the city and looking at it, he could guess what were the red spots and he didn't like the implications.

"Periodically, entire areas of cities or even entire cities are wiped out by sudden, inexplicable Maverick attacks and not just any attack, gigantic invasion forces equipped with military-grade equipment. At first, there was no apparent pattern but the attacks are intensifying. The world outside of the cities has ceased to be safe no less than fifty years ago either; the outer areas are infested with Mavericks to such a degree that few may survive out of the Legion-protected areas."

"So there is an enemy out there..." he summarized. Still, this didn't answer a question in the back of his mind. Why couldn't Ciel and the Guardians take care of it without him? It seemed like she had read him as she continued.

"I am afraid that the Guardians are only a shadow of the force you used to be a part of, years ago. A lifetime gobbling Legion propaganda and lounging away from major conflicts have decayed the organization. Most of the Guardians are young mortal Reploids who have never seen a non-humanoid Mechaniloid outside of Legion forces and whose opinion of the world is copied off the Legion books on the matter. Only a few of us are left with any idea of what's really going on or even with a desire to do anything about it. And even then, there are not enough of us left. And if my fears are confirmed and the pattern of attacks point to a new enemy..."

"... then the Guardians will be unable to stop this new threat. You're in no shape right now to take on an enemy on the scale of Dr Weil. If it's something even half as bad coming up, you'll get pasted." finished the Reploid.

Still, even with it all, it did not answer all of his questions.

"Ciel, if you need me then I will do it. Tell me what I need to do or what I need to blow up and I'll suit up and I'll do it. This is what I do, what I used to do and what, I admit, want to do again. To fight for those who cannot protect themselves, to protect those I love, to help you and the vision we share. I'm not afraid, if an enemy appears, I will destroy it regardless of what Neo Arcadia, Legion, or any other clown-ish government has to say on the matter. But right now, I'm concerned. What about you? I have nothing to lose. I don't care about my 'Roze' identity and frankly, I'm glad to be back at your side. But I'm worried about your future, your career. If I fight at your side again, it may reveal your secret."

"I'm aware of it. But you did not go outside the big cities since you left the Guardians. You did not see how it is outside. It's war outside, a carnage that never stops. And soon, I fear that the cities will cease to be safe too. A new conflict is rising and if Legion is too concerned with maintaining its mockery of a peace to see it, then... I guess I'll have to leave it. I waited too long to leave Neo Arcadia when it became corrupted. I will not make that mistake again with Legion."

This settled it for him. "Alright, I will do it."

* * *

The various members of the Guardians couldn't help but gather around the door of the room Ciel and that mister Roze had went into. It had been quite a while now. What could they be doing inside?

"Disperse, disperse! There is nothing to see here!" Serpent felt frustrated at the situation. He had told them to disperse and return to their post about five times but they had returned here anyway after a short while.

Again, they stared at him and then streamed away from the door. But just as the group had begun to disperse, forming a half-circle around the door, it opened. Everyone recognized the first figure that stepped out. But the second one, the one in the red armor, was quite the different story.

Everyone stared at the Reploid. The eyes were the same and he still had his blonde hair but apart from that, he seemed almost different. He was clad in compact, red and dark blue battle armor right out of the Neo Arcadian era, complete with a classic Reploid helmet on, his hair coming out in a ponytail at the back. The strange crimson Reploid caused unease in many. He looked dangerous, alien... yet, he also seemed dignified, determined, and had an aura of strength about him.

"I'd like you to introduce to our newest recruit to the Guardians, mister Roze."

The Reploid straightened and saluted, a small smile on his face as he did so. He oozed seriousness in a way that no Guardian, except maybe Serpent, had in a hundred years. Serpent nodded to himself, smiling. He liked the style of that crimson armor-wearing recruit already.

There was an awkward silence for a moment and slowly, the Guardian head mechanic stepped forward.

"So you finally found someone compatible with that armor and those wacky weapons. Nice to see them finally having an use beside hogging storage space."

Although it made Ciel embarrassed, the Reploid was pleased to see that it allowed the Guardians as a whole to relax. Already, a few had gained back the friendly expressions they had when he first teleported into the ship as 'Roze'.

"So, Ciel? What's going to be his codename? I suggest 'Saumon' or 'Homard'."

Ciel gave the Reploid a knowing grin. "What do you think about the codename 'Zero', mister Roze?"

The mechanic seemed upset. "But I thought we had agreed that every Guardian should have a codename related to the seas and to fis-"

"I think I can get used to it." said the Reploid, returning Ciel's grin.

Serpent took the opportunity to step forward, approaching the Reploid. With a warm smile on his face, he offered to shake hands. The crimson Reploid grabbed the hand and shook hands energically.

"Welcome to the team Zero." he said.

The mechanic couldn't help but grumble. It was the Serpent case repeated all over again. Refusing the usual codenames, taking on a weird-ish uniform that didn't fit with the usual code and yet, was still approved by Ciel...

Upset, he walked away unnoticed while everyone greeted the new recruit. Who cares about this Reploid in red armor with the name 'Zero' and...

...wait!

Why is the name and appearance somehow familiar? He tried to jog his memory but dismissed it as nothing important. Must have been his imagination. First time he saw this Roze guy who wants a gaudy Zero codename. What's so great about the 'Zero' codename anyway?

* * *

"So, that is your big plan? Have this old agent from a hundred years back protect us?" Mer was obviously less than thrilled over the plan.

"Mer, you should have been there when Zero was a member of the Guardians. It was a thing of beauty. There is no Maverick raid, no public riot, no incident that he cannot take care of. This 'old agent from a hundred years back' will shut up any idiot and beat up any Mechaniloid that look funny his way." said someone else, nodding to himself as he looked at the red Reploid standing by the table.

"Furthermore, according to our record logs, Zero is confirmed immune to all forms of viral and radiation corruption. He was in the middle of the Resistance Base back during the Omega incident and received a full power viral blast from the Dark Elf. It didn't even faze him. There's a reason this guy is still alive to this day. I'm sure he could give even Serpent a run for his money."

And once again, an argument was taking place, one half of the group familiar with him and knowing what he could do while the other half couldn't believe that she was putting her faith in a single old model Reploid right out of the Neo Arcadian era. Still, she had predicted it would take place and now that he was here, it wouldn't last much longer.

"Everyone, we've all looked at the logs and his records are spotless. He's the perfect man for the job. Yeah, the Ragnarok Core crash site is a nasty place flooded with radiation but with both our top agents, Serpent and Zero, protecting us, everything will be alright."

"It is a dangerous mission but we need to gather data and research the 'Biometal'. We cannot afford the organization as a whole to learn of the Biometal. They are not ready and it would blow our cover. While we are gone, Prairie will be put in command of Area X and tasked to continue gathering data on the Maverick raid patterns."

Mer and many of the others raised an eyebrow at that last statement by Ciel. Seeing their reluctance, she continued.

"Prairie might be a bit eccentric and naive but she is the most qualified for this task. We will need every member of the inner circle at the crash site so that if some of us become affected by the radiations, the research efforts will not fall apart. The more time we will spend at the crash site, the more dangerous it will be to our long-term health and the more suspicious it will be."

Serpent, leaning against the closest wall, nodded to the scientist. "We all know that the Biometal W is a nasty thing but I'm confident that with Ciel among us, Maverick insanity will not be a big problem. If it comes down to a fight, I and Zero will restrain the victims and Ciel will fix the malfunctions before it can cause any permanent damage."

He turned to the red Reploid, who had still not spoken so far. "You got no objection with it all?"

"Sounds good to me. Just one thing though." he said. "Ciel, I and Serpent should always be together. In the case that Serpent starts being affected or that I turn out not so immune after all, the other one should be able to restrain the other quickly before he can go on a rampage."

It seemed to satisfy most of the group although Ciel could still feel the unease in the air but with the promise that Serpent and Zero, the two top-most ranked Guardians, would protect them, the tension was already decreasing. What came next were formalities and protocols that came when any mission was being discussed and Zero paid it no attention, instead leaning against the wall quietly, reflecting upon the situation.

As he was starting to lose himself in his memories, the crimson Reploid noticed the tall frame of Serpent now standing next to him.

"It's been a while, isn't it?"

Zero stared at the one who had earned the respect of Ciel. He was a very impressive sight, a massive human Reploid that reminded him of someone had had known, ages ago. He could understand how Serpent had gained the trust of everyone despite his size; he constantly had a warm smile on his face and he seemed to have a knack for saying the right thing at the right moment. Most of the Guardians had not impressed him, they were little more than amateurs and he had a feeling the most of them would bolt if put in front of a real enemy but Serpent had a composure to him, a feel that made him seem just as serious and dedicated as he seemed nice. It was all overly familiar but Zero did not make the connection and he thought it didn't matter at the moment.

"Yeah."

"Escort mission. Doesn't seem too hard. Well, that part anyway. I'm not an exclusive military agent, you know."

"You're part-scientist, right?" guessed Zero. Serpent nodded.

"Was a scientist... a long time ago. And then, the Mavericks came..." Serpent's face darkened for a moment. Zero blinked a few times. With the way the taller Reploid always smiled, the way his face had looked, the expression he had taken for a moment seemed so unfitting that for a moment, it had looked like he had turned into another person. But he quickly shook his head, sighing loudly, his smile returning quickly. "Don't mind. Just some idle thoughts and memories. I'm not as talented as Ciel but I'm still part of the science team. Although people sometimes forget that, what with my performances on the battlefield. What about you? You two seem to go way back, if the records are any indication."

"One might say that."

Everyone stood up. The meeting was apparently over. Ciel approached the two.

"We'll be leaving in ten hours, be ready by then."

As she left, the taller Reploid looked to Zero one last time. "Time to get to work. I'll be seeing you at the crash site."

Serpent saluted and walked away, the group quickly leaving the room. The crimson Reploid leaned against the wall, thinking over the briefing and the situation at hand. Now that he thought about it, this whole mission was beginning to ring a new set of alarms inside of his head, giving him a really bad feeling about it all. Then, there was the feeling that he could guess that this would certainly not be his only mission.

Zero straightened himself and cracked his knuckles. Indeed, it was time to get to work.

* * *

Zero stared at the great abyss, an uneasy feel gripping his entire frame. All around the crater, giant spotlights were illuminating the strange, gigantic object that was now resting at the very heart of the cave's deepest pit. The object disturbed Zero for he knew that this wasn't what was supposed to be there. The Ragnarok Core had crashed here centuries ago and a vault had been built to prevent anyone from trying to approach it. The Resistance, later the Guardians, had kept the entire vault under constant camera watch, the core constantly watched.

And yet... one day, when a team was sent within the vault to check that everything was right, they entered the main crater to find that the Ragnarok Core had vanished, replaced by this weird lookalike called Biometal W. Heads had rolled that day and Ciel had fired many of the Guardians before launching an in-depth investigation. Obviously, the camera feed had been falsified or hijacked at an unknown date, masking the entrance and exit of whoever had entered the vault and then not only hauled the Ragnarok Core out but replaced it with Biometal W.

Many theories surrounded this mysterious event but whatever the truth was, Zero was convinced that it was related to the strange Reploid he had briefly seen when he arrived back from the final battle with Dr Weil so many years ago and Ciel shared his suspicions. Whoever had taken the Ragnarok Core away was no common criminal or Maverick. The vault was locked by a serie of lockdown codes requiring multiple special DNA signatures, the whole vault was under camera supervision with each camera isolated from each others and loaded with anti-jamming systems, and the entire place was equipped with auto-locking blast doors, reinforced walls, and automated defenses on a scale that had not been seen since Neo Arcadia's Area X.

Whoever had taken away the Ragnarok Core was a professional and had known precisely how to defeat each of the defenses Ciel had placed...

Zero stared intently into the crater at the Biometal. It had been named as such because of its strange properties. It seemed that just like Dr Weil's regenerating suit, it had an ability to interact with both mechanical and biological matter and was effectively actually more alive than anything else. Although Biometal W lacked the strange, tentacle-like extensions of the Ragnarok Core and its eye-covered horns, the way that its sole, red eye on its center glared at him disturbed the crimson Reploid deeply. He hated the thing and he could constantly feel a presence, as if the Biometal was somehow hating him back. Ciel had said that they had confirmed that the thing, although able to feel was not sentient but it still didn't make things any less uneasy.

Zero heard the sound of Serpent's heavy footsteps as he approached. The taller Reploid's smile had vanished as he stood by his side, staring at the Biometal with an expression that was fairly similar to his. In a way, it pleased the crimson Reploid to know that he wasn't the only one creeped out by that thing.

"Scientifically speaking, I find Biometal W fascinating." he said. "It has properties akin to Dr Weil's old bio suit, with an ability to 'evolve' and assimilate objects freely. The potentials of Biometal W are staggering. If we could make an alloy of it, we could make bridges, houses, and roads that repair themselves. As a weapon, it would allow us to create armor suits that could be contained in the palm of one's hand and then deployed whenever needed. Truly fascinating, scientifically speaking..."

"But..." guessed Zero.

"But personally, I'd just cover the thing with explosives and destroy it already. Although it is true that the mechanical and biological technology we now use to make humans and Reploids compatible and viable as a single species are based off the Ragnarok Core and that the Ragnarok Core was no less creepy, the Ragnarok Core didn't stare back when you looked at it. Likewise, the Ragnarok Core's radiations were a well-documented danger. This Biometal W? If anyone asks me, we're looking at a repeat of the Dark Elf."

Zero couldn't help but nod. The potential of Biometal W for research is nearly endless, beating even the original Ragnarok Core in terms of the good that Ciel could make of it. And Zero was convinced Ciel would make something out of it. The big problem is that he doubted that whoever put it there had done so because he or she thought it fixed the feng shui of the crater.

Still, that was Ciel's job for the moment. Just like his past partnership with X, there were things that he could do and that were things that were up to his partner. He trusted Ciel to do her thing. If things went wrong or if the need for his strength came up, he would be ready. But for now, his own task is to sit on the lines and make sure everything goes well. A good step to completing it was, as usual, to stay alert and calm. Still, since there were no movements anywhere for the moment...

"You seem to know your history pretty well, Serpent."

The taller Reploid seemed amused by that last remark. "Not really, nothing compared to you. As a member of the Guardians' inner circle, I've been entrusted with the truth regarding the organization and other such sensitive information required for me to do tasks that the common, Legion propaganda-swallowing recruit can't handle."

He relaxed for a moment, nodding to himself. "It's a real honor to meet you by the way. By the time I joined, you had already left the organization. Which reminds me... why did you leave, exactly?"

The red Reploid sighed as the memories of those days returned to him. Bitterness filled him and he was once more reminded of why he had become so cynical and resentful of Legion.

"I... I couldn't stay. Thanks to my armor, the fact that I couldn't age was hidden but unlike Ciel, my job among the Guardians meant that I couldn't just take a different identity. Furthermore, there were... connections in the Guardians that would have given us away. For my sake... and for her sake, I had to leave..."

There was an uneasy silence and for a moment, Serpent's expression became distant. Although the situation was radically different, he could understand the feeling.

"It must have been painful both for her and for you."

The expression on Serpent's face surprised Zero. It wasn't something he had expected, really. The taller Reploid seemed like the type that always had everything going for him and that could see no wrong. To see his facade open for a moment made the red Reploid pause.

"I once had a family too, like you. Like you, they were taken away from me. Although..." Serpent turned to look at the center of the crater. From this distance, the people working near Biometal W seemed as ants but there was no doubt that Ciel was out there. "...it must have been torture, knowing that your wife was still alive, that she still loved you as you loved her, that your family was out there but that you are doomed never to see them again."

Those were memories he had suppressed and for a moment, he thought that his tough exterior would break, his throat feeling dry, as if he would choke. But Zero kept it under control. This did not prevent Serpent from noticing the brief weakening in the Reploid's tough guy image.

"It's more than just the joy of having meaning to your life, isn't it?"

Zero stared at the taller Reploid for a long moment before looking back into the crater. He slowly nodded although a cold, cruel realization came to him.

"You've read the records, don't you..."

Serpent nodded. "Yes, Ciel's long lost husband... the father of her children, the only one who truly touched her heart. It was you, isn't it? You two were... lovers, weren't you?"

The crimson Reploid stared at Serpent for a long time. So... he knew.

"My body was not ready for awakening when I was resurrected. I was a complete amnesiac, unsure of who I was and of why I existed. Ciel... gave meaning to my life. She helped me remember who I am, the promises I had made. But more importantly, she made me give meaning to my continued existence. She taught me that life was precious, that it was worth protecting... and not just her life and those of my friends but also my own. She allowed me to stop being driven solely by my promises, to gain my own identity... and my own feelings."

"A touching story. The young pacifist scientist and the ancient war hero, an union most unlikely... yet so fitting."

The crimson Reploid couldn't help but smirk by now. "Who would have thought indeed?" He turned to the taller Reploid... "What about yourself?"

"I was a scientist working in a settlement outside of the limits of Innerpeace. It wasn't a really big town but we were next to an old ruin and it was a real gold mine for our research. I was living a quiet life and I was pretty much sure I'd age up and dying an unimportant man, not that I cared much about it. I worked to support my wife and my own children and that was all. All the purpose I needed to my life... and then, the town got attacked by Mavericks."

Zero raised an eyebrow. Seeing the smaller Reploid's expression, Serpent carried on.

"Never heard of it, didn't you? I'm not surprised. Legion couldn't care less about what happen to people outside of their precious main areas. Legion had a token force in our town and didn't even bother getting their hands dirty at all, they just took their equipment and left."

"They left the town to die?" Zero was genuinely shocked. He knew that Legion was a lousy, suspicious organization but hearing such a tale was pretty much confirming that they are like Neo Arcadia.

Serpent nodded. "They didn't give the order to evacuate. In fact, they didn't even give us a warning. We learnt that the Mavericks were coming when the first bombs begun to fall. Some of us called for help but Legion didn't even respond. They left our entire town to die, going on their business while the Mavericks slaughtered us. I..."

He paused for a moment but forced himself to carry on. "I took a peek out of the window of my lab during the attack and saw the Mavericks round up the inhabitants in the main square. I... I saw them gut my wife and my children like pigs, opening them up like they were some slaughter animals, cutting them into parts as supplies... It was at this moment that artillery fire from the Mavericks hit the lab and the ceiling collapsed on top of me. It warped my armor and shattered most of my bones. Later on, Mavericks walked into the building and I heard gunshots. They were finishing up any survivors. They ignored me because I was buried under rubble. I didn't know how long I stayed like this. Hours, days... I didn't know and I didn't care. It was then that the Guardians arrived and found me..."

Zero was not sure what to say but Serpent was not done as he still carried on, determined to tell his story from beginning to end. If he stopped, he wasn't sure if he would be able to tell it again and since Ciel obviously trusted Zero enough to bring him into this mission, then he needed to know the truth.

"What happened to my town is happening all over the place, Zero. There is something out there that make machines appear in very large numbers and organize, somehow. Then, all of those Mavericks go on raids, razing and slaughtering any town they find. They are relentless Zero and it never ends. The big cities owned by Legion are left alone, no one is sure why... but if you're anywhere else?" he shook his head slowly. "It's war out there, Zero. Legion never speaks about it but it's war and Legion is too busy punishing 'Mavericks' to notice that real Mavericks are just outside their walls, gutting innocents and never facing retribution for their crimes."

Serpent's face hardened, a hard, cold determination now visible on his face. "That is why I joined the Guardians, why I begun to fight for them, and why I disabled my mortality protocols. There is an enemy out there and someone must stand up to it... and if Legion is not willing to do anything about it, then it's up to us to do it."

That explained a lot of things. Serpent's story brought back memories from earlier days but he decided to instead focus on the more recent thoughts.

"I know you're probably not the one to ask about it but... is there a pattern with the attacks?"

Serpent shook his head. "No, not that we know of. The raids happen almost at random and without warning. With Legion leaving the outside towns on their own, communications between cities is bad. The Mavericks are also unpredictable. Sometimes, it's a large number of chaotic machines with no clear leader, at others times it's an organized strike by Mavericks with clear military-grade tactics and equipment. Either the attacks are truly random or-"

"They're not random." interrupted Zero. "That was a mistake done against both Copy-X and Weil, back when Ciel led the Resistance. Copy-X almost steamrolled our first HQ with a giant tank and Weil used the attacks to cover the construction of the Ragnarok. If Ciel judge that the attacks are serious enough that I'm back into this armor then they're definitely not random. And I doubt that someone who stole the Ragnarok Core right from under our noses would resort to striking towns at random."

At this moment, a faint noise was heard and Serpent looked down at the communicator on his wrist. He poked it, activating it, and then after a while, turned to the crimson Reploid, recovering his warm smile.

"Well, it seems the science team needs me at the Biometal site. Take care."

The tall Reploid saluted and Zero returned it as he walked away. The crimson Reploid thought over what he had been told and it made him think about his own life. What was going on with Legion? He did not doubt now that Legion is just as corrupt as Neo Arcadia was but still, it made no sense. Why would Legion let towns be slaughtered like this? It might make sense if it was to terrorize people and force them to live within its borders but then why hide the extent of the war to the population? Wouldn't it be more effective to instead flaunt it? Besides, most of those towns were filled with people who were loyal to Legion. This made no sense and it made him feel like he was missing a big piece of the picture.

He stared at the Biometal W, quietly sitting in the middle of the crater. Was this thing truly holding the answers to their questions? Why had the Ragnarok Core been stolen and replaced with this thing? And why leave it here, of all places?

This whole situation reminded him of a certain very bad day he had, so long ago and the similarities disturbed him. He wished with all of his heart that Ciel knew what she was doing...

* * *

Days were passing slowly and yet, Zero was finding that his enthusiasm had not died off. It had 'cooled off' but it was still there and it surprised him because that technically, his duties were dreadfully boring. The truth was that the only real threat that they had seen those last two weeks was Biometal W looking at them funny and as unsettling as the thing's stare was, Ciel and Serpent had confirmed once more that it was non-sentient and that no one had developed Maverick symptoms. In a way, Zero was even tempted to think that things would go without a hitch but then, one had to give Murphy his dues.

So there he is, watching over the crater containing Model W Core, as it had been nicknamed. It seemed more logical in a way, that the Ragnarok Core had indeed been modified and remodeled instead of replaced but still, it left one with an important question: why leave it in the vault? Why go through the trouble of repairing and then upgrading the thing only to leave it where it was found? Zero could already guess a few reasons as could everyone else on the team and it didn't make him happy.

The nickname was something that Mer had come up with when they opened the thing and found the Ragnarok Core serial numbers still intact in the inner circuitry. Since everyone suspected that if whoever did this could create more of those things, they nicknamed the transformed Ragnarok Core the Model W Core in order to differentiate it from other Biometals W, should any more of those things exist.

And well, he was convinced that more probably did exist. The properties of the Model W Core were magnificent indeed, as Serpent had said. He remembered that little experiments that Ciel performed.

The thing regenerated at a really fast rate, they had discovered that when they cut the thing apart to look at its innards. Within a hour or two, the Model W Core would seal any breaches in its outer shell and repair any broken circuitry inside in a style not unlike biological beings. Serpent had done a little experiment, scrapping a hand-sized part off the thing and separating it from the primary Model W Core frame. Well, what happened next surprised everyone. Against all odds, the fragment developed its own miniature version of the W Core's circuitry and grown a bit, taking on a triangular shape and growing a small red eye not unlike the larger one's own. Analysis of the fragment had revealed that it had begun to emit radiations not unlike the primary unit and was basically now a miniature copy.

The fact that hand-sized Biometals could exist was a discovery that had given Ciel and Serpent many ideas regarding the application of this point. The regenerative abilities of the Biometal alone were very interesting. Still, the radiations themselves were still a concern, which led to the second experiment, the one that Zero remembers far more vividly.

The Biometal W Core was, like the fragment, assimilate matter surrounding it in order to regenerate damage. And from what happened with the fragment, it appears that the Biometal has a biological-like ability to rebuild itself back into shape. This was a process that reminded Ciel of a phenomenon that Zero had observed happening during the Neo Arcadian era.

The team had long deactivated the automated drone mechaniloids that they had installed centuries ago due to their vulnerability to the radiation effects of the original Ragnarok Core and had kept the machines in stasis cells for future use. Serpent opened one of the cells and then, the team placed a small guard mechaniloid, one of those that look like a radio on a pogostick, near the Model W Core. Then, they scrapped another fragment off the Model W Core and put it on the drone and then activated it.

The Model W fragment rebuilt itself like before but instead of assimilating the robot, it somehow begun to stretch itself while emitting an intense light. While all visual sensors became overloaded, the various scanners allowed the team to discover what was happening and it was something so unexpected that no one was sure how to react for a moment. Somehow, the Model W fragment covered the entire robot and merged with it. When the light died down, the spring-loaded leg had been turned into a stronger bladed one, the central eye had been turned into a miniature transparent version of the multi-eyed Ragnarok Core horn, and the whole thing's armor had changed color to a bright white. The drone had been somehow upgraded to what seemed to be a fusion between the Ragnarok Core and a security drone.

It was then that the security drone went Maverick. Its eye glowed, it begun firing its weapon randomly, and its electronic noise patterns became almost coherent slurs. It began attacking the walls furiously, as if sensing the presence of the team.

Zero and Serpent entered the room and subdued the machine easily although they both noted that the Biometal merge had somehow increased its strength and endurance way beyond the expected points. Once it was properly subdued, Ciel analyzed its programming and it was then that a disturbing breakthrough was made.

Like every Reploid and mechaniloid built since the end of the Maverick Wars, the drone was built as to be immune to the usual Maverick symptoms yet, the drone was confirmed to be a full, true Maverick. Somehow, the Model W fragment had completely corrupted even its hardened programming and turned it into the exact same type of Maverick that roamed the countryside.

Everyone could guess what it meant and the implications weren't pretty at all...

Still, that little experiment had given Ciel an idea, one that if it worked would give the Guardians the boon they needed to face the new Maverick threat.

Zero watched dutifully over the crater, watching the team as the various scientists continued to patrol around the Biometal W Core. With the confirmation that the Maverick symptoms were caused by the Biometal W, the armor of every Guardian had been reinforced against radiations and recon units were now sent on patrols to restrict access to the Biometal. Direct contact with the Biometal W fragments were forbidden unless specifically approved by Ciel and every twenty four hours, each member was scanned for Maverick symptoms.

So there he is, immune to the thing, remaining as the failsafe if everything went sour. Zero was a bit uneasy about it. It wasn't that it wasn't a sensible precaution; he was aware of what he could do and what he had done and the trust of the Guardians in his abilities despite the fact that many of them were not born by the time he left the Guardians flattered him. Still, it didn't change the fact that even just a few weeks ago, he had been teaching history to bunches of bored, uninterested students and had not seen real combat in over a hundred years. As a Reploid, his memories were far more 'crystallized' and his reflexes' tendencies to dull when unused was magnitudes lower compared to human beings but he was still worried.

He was confident he could take on even all of the recon units if they spontaneously went Maverick. No, it was no problem at all and in a way, he was itching to see how his newly upgraded and modernized equipment would perform. What was worrying him was Serpent.

When they had first arrived, Serpent had been as uneasy as he was and had been prone to openly declare his dislike of Model W, no matter how fascinating it may be. His smiles were nervous and in a way, it reassured Zero because it shown that he was conscious of how dangerous this place was despite the lack of fighting. Although no Maverick symptoms had been detected yet, no one had any illusions as to the long-term effects of the radiations emitted by the Model W Core.

But recently, Serpent had grown more quiet, less sympathic. He had stopped coming in the late afternoon to talk with him and his attitude had changed. Mer was happy that Serpent was growing more enthusiastic but he had spoken with Ciel and she shared his worries. Serpent was trying to hide it but something was changing and considering what had happened to that little drone, Zero was sure that he didn't want to see what would happen if something went wrong with Serpent. The memories of Elpizo and what had happened when he had been subjected to the Dark Elf burnt vividly inside of Zero's thoughts. Elpizo had been a civilian model and exposure to a transforming agent had transformed him into a giant abomination of a metal monstrosity.

It didn't help that he was beginning to have many of his latent memories emerge. Most prominently, he remembered a bald Reploid from long ago, very long ago, probably close to the moment of his first true awakening. A tall, bald Reploid in green armor who had once been the most powerful and respected of the original Maverick Hunters. The name of 'Sigma' was very prominent inside of the crimson Reploid's mind yet he could not remember why. He knew that the Maverick Virus had been known and was still often referred to as the Sigma Virus. Logic dictated that it probably had a link to the Reploid named Sigma but he couldn't remember why exactly and this bothered him. What bothered him even more was that the more he remembered about this Sigma guy, the more it reminded him of Serpent.

Zero sincerely hoped that all of those thoughts were merely latent paranoia from his many, many painful memories of troubled times but the world out there is not peaceful and he got the feeling that this whole expedition is just asking for trouble.

"Hi, Zero."

Zero didn't like how Serpent had that tendency to pop up at the most convenient of times. For such a tall Reploid, he was sure capable of being quiet and sneaky when he wanted. Or maybe was it him who had lost his edge?

"Hi, Serpent."

"You appear troubled. Is something wrong?"

Zero stared intently as Serpent asked him, not even looking at him but rather at the Model W Core in the middle of the crater. Back at Area X, that smile of his had looked warm and welcoming but the red Reploid couldn't help but find it somehow fake now.

"No. I'm still on duty. Volunteered for overtime."

"Suspecting that the little peace of our expedition may be broken?" he replied. It wasn't really a question and he carried on. "I wouldn't be worried. Everything is going according to plan..."

Zero swore that for a second, Serpent's expression had changed to something else but replaying the captured images in his mind, the Reploid's expression had remained the same during the whole sentence.

"I suggest you relax a little, Zero. You seem incredibly stressed. Well, I'll see if I'm needed elsewhere. Take care."

Zero watched Serpent walking away. It reminded him of a conversation he had with Sigma, ages ago. The multiplication of the similarities made Zero profoundly uneasy. Things were not alright, that he could guess.

He found himself hoping that this time, he would find out what was wrong and react before it was too late. This irrational thought lingered in his mind, making him realize that he couldn't remember what had happened last time. But he could remember the feelings and it only served to make him even more worried and frustrated.

* * *

"Zero, are you sure you are alright?"

Ciel looked at him with that kind of face that had bothered him since the day he had awakened to see her for the first time. He had never been able to bear to see her with that kind of face on and now was no different, especially now.

So he sighed, tried to calm down, and figured that he might as well finally speak out.

"It's been three weeks, Ciel. Almost a month and we're still holed up next to the Model W Core. We're tempting fate, Ciel. I'm afraid that if we begin to go Maverick, I won't be able to defuse things."

"I believe in you, Zero."

"I know but it has been a hundred years. And it isn't about myself or you that I'm worried. You have enough of your humanity left that the Model W Core cannot touch you and you've confirmed that I'm just as immune to the Model W Core as I was to every other corrupting agent in history. It's about Serpent that I'm worried about..."

The woman was about to say something but slumped into her chair, thinking hard. The Reploid stared at her as she thought. For the last few days, Ciel had remained in her room alone, tinkering with a secret project of hers. At first, when she had invited him, it seemed like she would bring it up but she had come out and expressed her worries regarding his recent stress. Much to his displeasure, everyone had noticed it. He guessed that among dozens of people who took the whole thing with a smile and a carefree attitude, his serious, no non-sense take on the situation made him stand out.

To be fair, he had not brought up the issue to anyone before. Serpent would probably laugh at him, Mer would call him paranoid to accuse their best agent, and the others would be commenting that the radiations from Model W Core are making everyone nervous. But he felt that Ciel had to know. He had learnt that it wasn't because everyone relied on him that he could bear the weight alone either. He had tried during the Neo Arcadian era and it had almost cost him his life. Furthermore, his feelings had demanded that he respected his promises. And so, he did.

Ciel seemed to struggle for a moment and then, looked at him. It seemed as if she didn't want to say what she was thinking and Zero understood the feeling. He nodded to her slowly. Her smile returned much to his pleasure, although it was still a nervous one. It was a step forward at least.

"We've been studying the Biometal very extensively and we found out that we can replicate it. I wanted to bring it up later but I guess that it's relevant. Somehow, the Biometal seems to draw its strength from the strong latent emotion that Dr Weil imbued into it during his final battle and then his death. Effectively, his very hatred at the world and at you defeating him is immortalized within. You must remember how the Sigma Virus worked, correct?"

Zero nodded. "The Sigma Virus tempered with the circuitry inside Reploids that caused guilt and emotional pain, sending them into overdrive. It also amplified negative feelings such as hatred and sadness on an exponential basis. Eventually, the emotional pain caused overwhelmed the victim's ability to cope and caused a state of extreme madness. I remember that. The Biometal do something similar?"

Ciel nodded as well. "Yes. Biometal W draws upon the emotional signature that Dr Weil had and uses it as a template to 'relate' to humans and Reploids around it. The radiations that the Biometal W emits are basically hateful feelings broadcasted all around it. But we have performed a few more experiments with drones and found out that the compatibility of the Biometal is dependant upon how well the host's own emotional signature match up with Weil's."

"So you're telling me that the more insane the host, the better the match-up?"

"No. If you remember well, Weil was punished with a fate worse than death, condemned to eternal aging without death, exiled so that he would be in total loneliness. The emotional signature left in the Biometal W is one of extreme sadness, hatred, loneliness, fear, and vengeful anger. Those with this type of feeling are far more vulnerable to Biometal W..."

And then, he finally understood why Ciel had been hesitant.

"Serpent... matches up with the profile perfectly."

"Yes. Serpent is the sole survivor of a Maverick raid. He saw his entire family slaughtered, his town abandoned, his life destroyed. His hatred of Legion is deep and he feels guilty for what happened. While most of us have a high tolerance to Model W's power, Serpent has been confirmed to have an extremely low tolerance to it. Effectively, it is a miracle he has not went Maverick and it is a testament to his will power."

The red Reploid crossed his arms as he absorbed the information. Serpent was the most vulnerable of them all, the one whose feelings were affected most. Yet, beyond some stress and odd behavior, he seemed normal. Or... is it?

"Ciel, it would be best if we analyzed Serpent for Maverick symptoms again. I have a really bad feeling about this and what you told me only confirm my suspicions."

"We'll scan him again. He will soon return from his patrol duties. For the moment being, I'd like you to see on what we've been working."

In a way, that last one was very much welcome for the red Reploid. His stress fading away, curiosity begun to rise. Seeing Zero's change in attitude, the woman got up, her smile becoming genuine as she gestured for him to follow her. Walking to the back of her room, she activated her computer and shown him what was on the screen. The images seemed to be like Biometal W but...

"Are those...?"

"Yes. As I said, we can replicate Biometal W. As you know, it has an ability to merge with hosts and bestow upon them all sorts of upgrades. We nicknamed that process 'MegaMerge'. But the most interesting point is that by uploading different data inside of it, we can control the shape and abilities bestowed by the Biometal."

Now that caught Zero's attention! Ciel sure is clever, he couldn't help but think. Always have a knack for coming up with the weirdest stuff in a pinch.

"So you found a way to basically compress a full battle model Reploid-worth of equipment in a hand-sized chunk using the Biometal W as a base?"

Ciel nodded, smiling very widely now. "Yes. Needless to say, this will allow us to deploy agents wielding battle abilities matching up the late Maverick Hunters of Neo Arcadia. In fact, with the proper data, we could even field agents with equipment and battle abilities, mimicking the X Guardians, X's, and even your own."

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to give every green recruit a copy of my equipment but well, that all sound great."

His smile faded a bit as he begun to guess. "There's something that tells me there's a reason you didn't take data off me while I slept, telling me that now instead of showing me a finished product."

Ciel nodded, her smile fading. "Yes, unfortunately. You see, we've only been studying the Biometal for a short time and although we've been making breakthroughs and may now make Biometal copies that will not broadcast hate radiations and corrupt coding like the original, we have no idea how to create a substitute for the Dr Weil emotional signature prerequisite."

"And coming up with a substitute would mean months of research, meaning we'd be exposing ourselves to the Model W Core and its madness-inducing radiations for that much time, which would be blatantly suicidal." completed Zero, guessing what she was coming to.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Zero."

"Don't be. It's a miracle we're already coming up with a Biometal of our won within only a month. I guess you'll want my data for a prototype, right?"

Ciel stared blankly at the red Reploid. "How did you-"

"Kind of obvious. I suggest you complete your prototypes quickly and save the logs so we can leave this place as soon as possible. I got the feeling that if we stay much longer, things may become interesting. And you know the meaning that 'interesting' have in my mouth."

The woman nodded and slowly approached the Reploid. But Zero raised a hand, stopping her in her tracks.

"Ciel."

"Hmmm?"

"Be careful."

* * *

"Model X, Model Z, Model L, Model P, Model H, and Model F? And you said that my 'Roze' nickname was bad..."

Ciel scratched the back of her head in embarrassment while the others were checking the containers. At long last, they were going to leave this place. This was a good thing as he was mighty sick of the Model W Core glaring at him, especially now that he knew what the thing was. Although it may be non-sentient, it's still got Dr Weil's emotional signature tacked on to it and it was more than enough for Zero to wish to be away from it.

"You're sure no one will be coming in and tinkering with the Ragnarok Core again?"

"I'm sure. I replaced the vault's codes with DNA codes that require both verbal cues and bio signatures to break. Unless someone learns all of the passwords and input them in sequence using the Biometal prototypes we created, no one is getting in the vault again."

Zero smiled to himself, seems things had not went wrong after all. He checked his internal timer and noticed that Serpent was starting to be late.

"I believe Serpent will be happy to be away from this place. I think it will do him a lot of good."

For some reason, Zero had the uneasy feeling he had just tempted fate and shouldn't have said that. An agent approached Ciel and spoke to her for a moment. Her smile was marred and the red Reploid cursed himself for taunting Murphy as she turned back to him.

"Zero, the recon team sent to investigate the new lock had not responded in quite a while. Likewise, we lost contact with Serpent. Could you go and check on them?"

A nameless fear suddenly gripped the red Reploid. Again, he thought of the similarities that it had with a certain Sigma he used to know but again, he couldn't say exactly why. Still, Ciel had good foresight in this case. They were about to leave and the sooner they leave, the better. If someone has gone Maverick, he'll be able to take care of it faster and better than a random patrol team.

Zero saluted and spun around before breaking off in a run as Ciel gestured to the Guardians around her. Soon enough, the expected transmission reached his electronic brain, the coordinates of the team's expected location and the spot where they had last been seen fed into his mind.

Zero didn't even bother using the stairs or the other catwalks leading out of the crater. As he approached the tall cliffs that led to the outer rims of the cave, he simply leaped into the wall and used his body's various systems to propel himself up the wall, kicking into the wall repeatedly as he climbed it. Within only a few minutes, he jumped off the cliff's wall and landed on top, having finished scaling it. To his relief, he wasn't especially tired from the ordeal, calming his worries about growing too soft from his inactivity... although he still noted that once back to Area X, he'll be training hard to cope with his biological functions being taxed like this.

After taking his shortcut, the path to the expected location was very short. Just a few hallways to the-

Zero froze in his tracks as he entered the exit hallway.

Mer had insisted on making sure the locks were working himself. He was next to the control panel, a finger brushing against the panel. His torso was a few meters away and his legs, at the entrance of the hallway, at Zero's feet. The walls were covered in various marks, showing that fighting had taken place there. He could see the bodies of various Guardians strewn all over the floor and the wall, massive holes in their armor, some with arms, legs, and even their head missing. But what disturbed him was the amount of blood splattered and how badly mangled the recon unit was. He had read the specs and even the modern Buster pistols and other weapons did not blast such large holes in the bodies of their targets. Everywhere, every dead Guardian was covered in massive, spectacular injuries, some of them showing signs that they had been outright dismembered, something that only an excessively strong Reploid could do.

None of the weapons anyone was carrying could do this and excluding maybe himself, no Reploid in the expedition had the needed weapons and physical strength to dismember the unit like this.

"Are you reading this, Ciel?"

"I... I am."

The expedition was made of elite Guardian members, many of which were close friends of Ciel that had been with her for many years, some even from back when Zero was an official member. He kneeled near one, watching the Reploid in the face. He was sitting down, lying against the wall, Buster pistol in hand, his gaze blank. Zero had known this Reploid back when he was a Guardian and he knew that he was a great soldier and from the looks of it, the team had put a tremendous fight.

...but still, they had been annihilated and this made it even disturbing

They were not just naive green recruit Guardians. They were elite soldiers just like Milan, Colbor, and other such members back in the Neo Arcadian era had been. They were experienced professionals with extensive battle experience and the best equipment the Guardians could afford, the type that would be able to go head-to-head with a battle model Reploid and prevail. Only an extremely powerful enemy, one on the scale of the X Guardians or even Craft and Omega themselves, would have been able to butcher them like this.

"There'll be time to grieve later, Ciel. Withdraw every recon unit to the rendezvous point; if they could do this to even Mer's unit, then sending more units won't do any good. Let me handle it."

"I-I understand. It's a good suggestion, I'm ordering it right now."

"Ciel?"

"What is it?"

"Be careful and wait for me. I'll be right back. Zero, out."

He shut down his communicator and removed the Buster pistol from its holster, the battle interface routine coming into effect in his programming and covering his vision. He had a bad feeling about this, a really bad feeling about this.

Zero suddenly felt uneasy. He spun while jumping back, spontaneously firing as he did so. The bullets flew straight out of the barrel and hit thin air. Simultaneously, the spot where Zero had been was racked by gunfire as a serie of five Buster shots slammed into the floor in a wide v-shaped pattern. The deafening impact sound confirmed that those had been fired from an arm-mounted Buster, not a Buster pistol.

Landing back on his feet, Zero stared into Serpent's eyes. Although his frame was unrecognizable, his face was. It seemed that Ciel's theory had been proven regarding the Model W Biometal...

"What's the matter, friend? You still seem stressed. I believe I told you to relax."

"What's wrong with you, Serpent? Just a few hours ago, we analyzed you and besides some stress, you didn't seem to have Maverick symptoms! Why have you done this?"

"Because it needs to be done." he said, suddenly serious. "The world needs to evolve, Zero. Can't you see? Ciel is right, Biometal W is our only hope. This entire world is only a facade of peace, humanity and Reploids fighting each others pointlessly as a new Maverick war looms over the horizon. Model W will bring us salvation, will trigger a new evolution. With it, we will foil the plans of the new enemy!"

That... was the most warped bit of logic Zero had heard in a centuries and he was certainly not going to let Serpent spit that kind of non-sense at him!

"Are you even listening to yourself? You just murdered more than a dozen of people on your own side, people you've known for years! Model W made you go Maverick, Serpent!"

"Maverick?" replied Serpent, stepping forward. His frame, all in white, transparent replicas of the Ragnarok Core's horns on his forehead and shoulders reflecting the light from the nearby lamps, towered over Zero. He really looked intimidating and it was obvious that this huge, gatling gun-like Buster cannon on his arm was the weapon that had killed the recon unit. "My mind has never been clearer. Thanks to Model W, I-"

This was insane talk. And now, at long last, Zero knew why it reminded him of Sigma and what was the connection between Sigma and the Sigma Virus. Sigma had been infected and had tried to fight it, alone. He had failed and had become... well, he forgot what Sigma had become but if the virus was named after Sigma, it was that Sigma had become a terrible Maverick after he had fallen to the virus. And now, Serpent, a former hero, infected in the same manner by an equivalent force...

Back then, he had been emotionally unstable, angsty, and weak. That was then, this is now.

"Serpent, don't tell me that. You're my friend, you're possessed by Model W, and I'm not going to let it turn you into a monster. Believe it or not, I'm your friend and if you refuse to come with me, then I'll have to subdue you."

"Hmph! You are naive, Zero! You know nothing, you have been in Legion's lap for a hundred years. How could you know anything? You may be the legendary hero or whatever Ciel consider you as but if you stand in my way... then I will have to make you disappear!"

Zero had stopped listening and had placed his Buster into its holster. Serpent grinned confidently, believing falsely that Zero had given up. Of course, if Serpent wasn't blinded by Model W, he'd remember that the red Reploid had weapons other than the Buster pistol.

As he came to the end of his dash, Zero reached out for Serpent's chest, his Z-Knuckle coming to life. Serpent had a fraction of a second to dodge and even with his enhanced reflexes, there was no way he could dodge the attack. He didn't even try to dodge, convinced that his transformation would make him impossible to touch by such an ancient Reploid wielding a popgun stolen off a random guy and a big energy knife that is literally centuries-old. Like every enemy foolish enough to underestimate him, Serpent learnt that Zero didn't care how shiny or modern your armor was.

As the energy flowed into Zero's arm, he gripped Serpent's arm with all of his strength and came to a stop, using the sudden kinetic energy to throw Serpent straight into the nearest wall. Serpent had foolishly assumed that his tall, heavy frame would be impossible for Zero to throw. Of course, Serpent had forgotten that Zero had torn Weil right out of the Ragnarok Core, a far larger, heavier machine than Serpent's MegaMerged body by far. Serpent had a momentary look of surprise on his face before his body slammed straight into the wall with a satisfying 'THWACK!'.

On one hand, Serpent's new armor meant that the attack did only minor damage. On another hand, it shattered his sensation of immortality and caused his facade of a pleasant smile to crack down, a feral, berserk expression covering his face. One that Zero recognized without fail; there was no doubt about it now, this was a repeat of that bad day, the day Sigma had went Maverick.

The big difference here was that Zero knew better and would not allow things to spiral out of control again. Before Serpent could react, the red Reploid had taken his Buster out of its holster and pointed it at the taller Reploid. He fired a salvo straight into his arms. Although the armor absorbed the shots, Zero did not intend to kill Serpent; all he needed was to disarm him. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to do so literally but if he needed to, he would do it too.

As Serpent came out of his daze, it seemed like he didn't even feel the bullets boring into his armor. Instead, he kicked into the ground, sliding toward Zero in a way not unlike Copy-X had been able to. Back then, that had been a devastating melee attack that forced Zero to pull all stops to avoid. Now, Zero was wiser and simply dashed toward the nearest wall, leaping into it and kicking into it, sending himself somersaulting over the tall Reploid. As he did so, he also took the opportunity to fire more Buster bullets, hitting the larger Reploid's shoulders. Much to Zero's frustration, Serpent's new armor seemed to be of an extremely good quality, shrugging off the puny uncharged bullets with ease. This was a problem as Zero hoped to bring him back alive and unleashing charged, EX Skill-powered attacks upon Serpent would be counter-productive. Ciel wouldn't be able to cure him if he reduces him to a lifeless pile of scrap.

The large Reploid spun around, cracking his knuckles, his smile returning.

"You're quite agile, Zero! Your skills are worthy of a legendary hero!... but your weapons are pitiful. You're barely scratching my armor! Is that really the best that the red Mega Man can do?"

Much to his frustration, Zero merely pointed his Buster at his arm and fired again. This time, he charged briefly, unleashing a single, slightly large green fireball-shaped shot instead of the usual oval yellow bullets. The energy shot impacted in Serpent's shoulder with a lot more strength than previous shots, this one definitely stinging. Still, it was still far too weak to cause any real damage.

"How disappointing. Well, not my problem I guess."

Serpent confidently rose his gatling gun-shaped arm Buster cannon at the crimson Reploid... and nothing happened, well except for the flurry of bullets that came slamming into his other arm, causing him to stagger slightly. It was then that his own systems told him that Zero had incapacitated his arms. Darn it! He should have known!

Fortunately, it was Zero's own turn to be over-confident. It is true that most Reploids have their weapons installed strictly in their arms but Serpent had a little trick of his own. Serpent didn't give the red Reploid any time to suspect anything was wrong for the second that he took a step forward, it was already too late. Serpent somersaulted in front of Zero, catching the crimson Reploid right on the chin with his feet as he spun. The power kick made Zero's world spin as he found himself no longer touching the floor. Seconds later, he landed straight on his face, pain racking his entire body.

Losing no time, he sprung back to his feet only for Serpent to come down, aiming for Zero's skull. The red Reploid rolled away barely in time. Serpent was full of surprises, it seemed. Well, since it seems he'll have to get serious, then he'll get serious. Zero put his Buster pistol back into its holster and unsheathed the Z-Saber, preparing himself.

Grinning confidently, Serpent brought both of his arms forward. For a moment, Zero wondered why as his arms' weapons had been knocked out by the Buster shots but he quickly understood why when some kind of energy was channeled through the taller Reploid's, forming a sphere in front of him. The sphere grew by the second as Serpent pumped more and more power into it and Zero quickly became alarmed as it came to grow as big as Serpent was tall and shown no signs of slowing down, growth-wise. This was already a cramped arena and if it grew any larger, Zero would be unable to dodge it.

Well, not if he does something about it!

Zero gathered all of his power in his blade, turning on the ice elemental chip. He hoped that after all those years, he still had his EX Skills available. Well, guess he will now find out.

Zero leaped into the air and came down, sword pointing down, the blade covering itself in ice, like a giant icicle. Serpent snickered as Zero fell way short of his mark, far from him.

"Where do you think you are aiming?"

Zero smirked confidently, causing Serpent to raise an eyebrow and look down. He then cursed loudly as he saw his feet bound to the floor because of a large sheet of ice. He looked back to Zero... only to find him right to his side. Zero tapped on his shoulder, still smirking.

"Why you LITTLE-!"

Serpent brought the gigantic sphere of purple energy above his head, ready to crush that impertinent red Reploid who thought he could get away with taunting him. This was the mistake Zero was looking for and he thrust his blade, charging it with electricity.

The blade pierced straight through Serpent's chest plate, reaching the circuitry inside. Although Zero had deliberately missed the heart, Serpent still found himself grunting, eyes bulged, as his entire body shook from the flow of electricity that went through his frame, shorting systems all over his body and burning many of his nerves to a crisp.

Zero quickly pulled off the blade once the discharge unleashed, dashing away as Serpent lost his concentration, the massive sphere of Model W energy collapsing on his own head, bursting like a water balloon and covering him from head to toes. Finding himself shocked a second time by his own power, Serpent's eyes rolled as his systems begun to fail. The world spinning out of control around him, Serpent lost his footing and collapsed in front of Zero, consciousness leaving his body.

With Serpent knocked down, Zero slowly approached, not yet sheathing his Z-Saber just in case. He kneeled down and touched the tall Reploid's neck, feeling a pulse. To be fair, he had been worried if that last attack had been overkill but it seemed it hadn't. Still, he wasn't sure how long Serpent would stay unconscious...

"Ciel, you got everything?"

"I'm dispatching a team to recover him right away."

"I'm staying here in case our friend wakes up early. Secure a room and some restraining devices, he got some serious firepower."

"I still can't believe Serpent went Maverick..."

Zero stared at the tall Reploid as he laid down on the floor. In a way, he could understand Ciel and now that the adrenaline was fading from his systems, the full implications were starting to sink in. Serpent had been the best agent in the Guardians since him, one beloved of every member in the organization including Ciel and from the month he had spent with him, Serpent was the sort of Reploid that he would have loved to work with. So to see him, stuck in this grotesque form, surrounded by so much bodies...

Flashbacks of Sigma mixed with those of Elpizo and for a moment, Zero felt violently ill. He managed to keep his breakfast in and swore to himself that he wouldn't fail thrice. Twice in the past, he saw friends become corrupted, twice in the past he was forced to put them out of their misery with his blade. That was then, this is now. With Ciel's help, they will save Serpent.

Zero looked around the hallway and poked at a part of the wall with his Z-Saber. The part of the wall collapsed and Zero grabbed into it, deciding to use it as a makeshift chair as he waited for the team to arrive. Serpent seemed almost peaceful now.

With some luck, the Sigma case will not repeat itself...

* * *

"You are sure this will hold him?"

"I've tripled the strength of the magnetic field in the shackles, just in case."

The crimson Reploid stared at the one who had been his friend even just a brief moment ago. Once a member of the inner council, a trusted friend of Ciel, even one he could himself trust... now twisted into a Maverick. The way he grinned like a lunatic was as heartbreaking as it was eerie.

For a moment, Zero found himself deeply disturbed. That someone so good was twisted into a psychopath not unlike Copy-X and Weil...

With Neo Arcadia, he knew that his foes were most of the time simply doing their jobs or were loyal to Copy-X and Weil's ideas. Or they were forced into this fight or simply were psychopaths. He had accepted the sacrifices, the ugliness of war back then. But he had sometimes wondered why his latent memories involved such distress at the idea of fighting Mavericks and as he stared at Serpent's maniacal expression even as he was restrained with magnetic shackles, he got a glimpse of why he might have been so emotional once.

Mavericks, real Mavericks, were people twisted into monsters by an outside factor. They weren't like Copy-X or Weil, whom he had known only as enemies. Everyone of them was not unlike Elpizo... except even worse. Elpizo took the plunge into Maverick mentality on his own. Serpent... even a week ago, he was nothing if not determined to prevent Maverick uprisings through the world and help people.

"I'd like to watch him, just in case."

Ciel nodded, silently. She tried to make a show of hiding it but through the centuries, she had gotten comfortable with the idea of not losing troops by the dozen every time she did a mission. The days of the Resistance, when survival was unlikely and just coming back from a mission alive was a success were behind her, behind both of them. Neither of them had expected so many of their agents to be gutted like fishes within minutes... and by one they thought to be their friend and ally at that.

Still, it made sense ; he was unnaffected by the Model W corruption and given what happened with Serpent, it is unknown if the Model W fragment might have given him undocumented powers. After all, he already showcased the ability to summon the armor despite not using one of Ciel's own models...

Yes, it is best that he watch over Serpent as long as possible, just in case.

So he took a chair from somewhere in the compound, dragged it into the makeshift prison that was once Serpent's lab, and then put it in front of the large slab of steel to which he was shackled, his wrists, ankles, and neck kept firmly chained to the slab. The shackles were very tight as to press against his nerves and paralyze him ; added with the magnetic energies coursing the shackles, he would have to unleash incredible power to break free, more than he could even with what he had showcased during his brief fight.

The crimson Reploid sat in front of Serpent and stared at him. The other Reploid simply glared back, his grin almost stuck on his face. Zero tried to glimpse a glimmer of his friend into the eyes of the being that was before him... but as much as he searched, all he saw was darkness.

The red Reploid chose not to voice his thoughts or feelings. The experiment is over. They have to get out of here before the Model W Core start messing with their minds any further. Within a few shifts, the personnel will be out and they'll be able to move Serpent to a more secure facility for treatment...

* * *

The crimson Reploid felt a nameless fear creep through his entire frame when exhaustion forced him to get off his chair, with Ciel trying to argue that he shouldn't be pushing himself so hard but unable to come up with a good wording about it. The truth is, she hated this too ; Serpent had just stared at Zero the entire time, grinning silently like a loon.

The silence, more than any taunts, had unnerved everyone, including Zero though he had not shown it. He was completely gone. Would they be able to cure him considering how warped his mind appear to be? That would be for when they're out of this place.

Unfortunately, as Zero had suspected, Serpent's grin was a sign that they were not in control as they thought they were. What they did not know was just how little control they had.

As Zero laid down to recover, he was awakened by an explosion. No use of explosives had been planned in today's schedule and screams definitely were not normal.

When the crimson Reploid emerged from the small makeshift structure in which he had slept, he was greeted by fire and smoke. And bodies. Lots of them. Serpent... he was there, in his armor. The air hazed hotly around his arm-cannon while his other hand held a piece of the magnetic shackles that had kept him bound.

He... he should have known Serpent would not let himself be restrained so easily. The bonds had not worked at all. He had just waited for him to get out of the way.

Nothing was said. He simply smashed what was left of the restraints in his hand and grinned at him. Zero likewise didn't bother saying anything, his hand unsheating his Z-Saber and activating it. For a moment, neither moved... and then, the Maverick pointed his arm-cannon upward and fired a salvo. The V-shaped salvo of energy projectiles slammed into the ceiling and caused rocks to dislodge from it, slamming all over the place... and most importantly, in-between Zero and his foe.

The red Reploid did not hesitate. He activated his dash systems, kicked into the floor, and then sent himself jumping even as Guardian agents on higher ledges around the central crater begun to fire their Busters weapons, trying to stop Serpent. However, the fire and smoke as well as Serpent's movements were doing a fine job of scrambling their aim and the moment Zero was over the pile, Serpent leaped out of the crater, performing an improbable jump even for a Reploid, one that ended with a summersault kick that separated an unfortunate agent's head from his shoulders. Within seconds, the Maverick turned the squad on that spot to a charnel house.

No. Oh no. He's not getting away. Especially not while butchering people like this!

Zero sent himself straight toward the wall and kicked into it, almost running up it from the speed he climbed it, determination gripping him. Serpent is NOT getting away! He's NOT rampaging through the Guardians like this! Not on his watch!

He holstered the Z-Saber and as he came over the ledge, he unleashed a torrent of shots from his Buster handgun... only for his shots to go wide and hit the wall as Serpent was already on another side... shooting a massive purple sphere of energy almost his entire height which then slammed into some of the buildings in the compound, reducing it to rubble.

Thoughts of Ciel and Serpent's rampage potentially harming her filled him. He gathered all of his power into his Buster and unleashed it all at once. The massive blue fireball flew straight toward the Maverick's position... only for said Maverick to leap out of the way. He seemed to be laughing.

It also registered to Zero that he had landed by the tunnel leading out of the crater site. He dashed as fast as he could, firing his Buster handgun as fast as he could overriding safety features and overheating it in a mad attempt at stopping Serpent's escape but he simply repeated his whole cause a cave-in trick and his shots slammed into rock.

The crimson Reploid stopped, panting. His emotions were stirring up a storm ; he wanted to run up to that cave-in, to tear the rocks off with his bare hands, to tear through the entire complex if need to be to capture Serpent... but it was obvious that he had been played. Zero had shown off that he could defeat Serpent, that he could contain him... so he had waited for the perfect moment, for when he wouldn't be watching, and then escaped, keeping him on his toes and using the havoc to make him focus on him and not on barring the exits.

Maverick... but with his intelligence, or at least hints of it, still remaining.

Zero found himself suddenly tired, as if the wind had been punched out of his body. He looked over the burning wreckage that was the small compound from which the research teams had studied the Model W Core. Bodies... so many bodies. Bodies to which he could attach names, people he had worked with.

Then came a crushing realization ; Ciel had brought much of the inner circle with her because that if Legion-abidding rookies learnt of this experiment, they might have been labelled as Mavericks. And if there were many Guardians inside of that building when Serpent blew it up, questions would be asked regarding the people who would not return... questions that would expose what happened on the site and Ciel's secret.

He was not the only one who had those thoughts as he saw Ciel and many of the Guardians who had been watching over Serpent with him emerge from the building only to see that they had been too late. Already, people rushed to the caved in structure, trying to see if they could dig out survivors... but from everyone's looks, it was obvious what had happened.

Ciel's haunted look told Zero everything about this entire fiasco.

He descended down to ground level and stood before the one he had disappointed... "I should have known the restraints were-"

"Please, don't." she cut him off. She gazed at the crew digging out the caved in structure. An arm gave hope of a survivor... but removing more rocks shown that most of the body had been crushed to a pulp. No, no one survived from that explosion. "We'll have to find a way to explain this to everyone as to avoid an investigation from Legion..."

Zero closed his eyes, thought for a good long while.

"A Maverick attacked." Everyone looked at him. Confusion was on the face of a few of them but Ciel knew that Zero didn't state the obvious unless he had an idea. And soon enough, he elaborated. "Roze turned out to be a Maverick, a red demon who went mad and slaughtered almost everyone."

"Zero..."

"Ciel, you know the cover won't hold up unless they have proof. And with Serpent on the run... I will take the blame."

"This is insane, you'll be labelled Maverick, you'll be pursued by the authorities and banned from every zone-" The crimson Reploid turned to face the Guardian who was protesting against his idea.

"I will be alright. I am... used to being labelled a Maverick. I will be able to survive on my own. Ciel need the Guardians, you all need the ressources and information you get from being a legal organization. I can help you without those ressources."

"You don't have to bear the responsabilities alone, you don't have to make yourself into a scapegoat for us..." He recognized the tone, knew what Ciel was warning him about. He knew it would be the easy way out but...

"I won't be alone. Even if the world will consider me a Maverick, you will know the truth. We will remain in contact." he turned to face Ciel. "I promise."

There was a long pause. "Someone has to take the fall. I'll be able to survive on my own even with the label. Trust me."

There was yet another pause as others tried to think of a way out. A malfunction in the heating systems, or a chemical mishap? Legion would send investigators, discover the Model W Core, and the cover will be blown. And if they simply declare an unidentified Maverick caused the casualties, they'd investigate the area looking for its whereabouts. No... there wasn't many ways to get out of this mess.

He will take the fall, he will take on the responsabilities. He do not need Legion's sympathies and he has operated for so many years as a Maverick. Besides, he wanted to hunt down Serpent, to seek him on his own terms. Serpent had a lot to answer for and well... he needed help. Legion would simply execute him.

"I will contact you once this blow over." said Ciel before nodding to him.

One era ends, a new one begin. Well, he guess being not hunted by the authorities for a short while was a nice change of pace.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	3. ZX, New World, New Heroes

**To AgeofAdvent:** Glad you like it so much. Copyright issues are a headache I don't want to go about but I'll be brief. Since this is a story based off a setting that is not mine (Mega Man) and use material from media that is not mine (Mega Man Zero 4, Mega Man ZX, and eventually Mega Man ZX Advent), I'd need to ask for permission to make it an 'official' fanfic... which lead me to the following problem: I disagree with many of IntiCreates's recent retcons and efforts to remove the lore and story hooks put into the franchise by the Team X development team. Due to this, making my fanfic 'official' may be, I'm afraid, impossible.

Oh and... what do you mean by "best five fics?" I'm curious what you mean by that.

As for the 'stealing' thing, material posted on is subject to some protection of sorts by default; one may not steal fanfics from other users and attempts to do so may result in nasty stuff like having your account banned from the site.

**To Thundercat:** Remember that Zero and Ciel came together at the end of the Neo Arcadian era, more than two hundred years ago and were then forced to separate due to the whole 'gift of mortality' Maverick issue. Although their children were conceived biologically thanks to the gap between man and machine being closed thanks to the advances that led to the ZX setting, the amount of time between the Zero 4 chapter and the other chapters is so big that their children are long dead from old age alongside with their children's own children. The best they can hope for, reunion-wise, is to meet their own descendants and even then, due to the 'gift of mortality' issue, it might be best to avoid such a reunion.

As for Giro, Vent, and Aile... read on. They're in this chapter.

* * *

**Megaman ZX**

New World, New Heroes

* * *

"Today, on 'When Mavericks attack', we are to discuss one of the most infamous Mavericks of all, the evil Red Demon! This is your host, Mensonge, and this is your co-host, Potin."

"Thanks, Mensonge. Today's article is an especially relevant as the Red Demon has been sighted near the city of Innerpeace recently."

"Yes, Potin, that is true. The great Sage, Master Albert, has made a statement regarding the Red Demon earlier this morning. To all of our viewers, this is a reminder. Should you sight any of the Mavericks detailed in our show, use the contact code at the bottom of the screen to contact the authorities. Those Mavericks are extremely dangerous, merciless criminals and as such, it is important to report any and all sightings. Now, Potin, who and what is the Red Demon, exactly?"

"The Red Demon is one of the most notorious Mavericks of our time and has been terrorizing various countries all over the world for no less than fifteen years. A vicious, relentless Reploid-sized Pseudoroid, the Red Demon has been involved in over three dozens of Maverick raids. The Red Demon may be recognized thanks to its horned-styled helmet and its color scheme, its chest plate, gloves, and boots all of a vivid crimson color. The Red Demon is an extremely dangerous Maverick, wielding a strange beam saber weapon in combat and despite its size, it has been confirmed to defeat mechaniloid weapons several times its size with ease."

"Such a dreadful, scary villain! Truly, we are thankful for the protection of Legion's security forces. It is our belief that the Red Demon may be caught and finally brought to justice soon by our brave Legion soldiers. Have they given any clear indication on how long the Red Demon will continue to terrorize poor, innocent citizens and their children?"

"Actually, most of the citizens of Innerpeace believe that the Red Demon will be caught by illegal and paramilitary groups such as the Slither Inc. security forces and the Guardi-"

"You heard it here first, on 'When Mavericks attack', on the Legion Live channel. The Red Demon's reign of terror coming to an end soon, thanks to the efforts of the intrepid Legion security forces!"

Zero couldn't help but roll his eyes as the advertisement break came on the screen. "Sure, Mensonge. I am absolutely convinced that Legion and Slither Inc. cares about the interests of the common citizen."

Still, he wasn't annoyed, more like amused. The truth was that he had not surfaced in quite a while due to a certain task he had been given. Sure, this would end soon but still, the timing of their article was awful and Mensonge was shooting himself in the foot quite nicely. It would be quite embarrassing, finding himself forced to do a second article on him within only a week.

Still, watching the bumbling antics of those two idiots passed time and well, it was always better than Girouette's situation. It wasn't that he hated those two teenagers or anything like that but the task of finding proper matches for the Biometals had been surprisingly difficult. Serpent had lulled both himself and Ciel into believing that finding a 'Chosen One' would be easy but the truth had been, frustratingly enough, quite the opposite. It seemed that most of those who had a compatibility with Biometals were Maverick raid survivors, which was a problem in itself as rescuing them implied walking in the middle of a battlefield. Then, there was the issue that most of those survivors either ended up understandably traumatized or just plain berserk insane. Almost every match that they had found had the wrong personality and motivation... which meant that unfortunately, Vent and Aile were the best they had been able to find, which was a sad and frustrating fact all in itself.

Zero couldn't help but sigh as he watched the two kids hang by the cliff, looking at the Slither Inc. building in the distance. The two had stopped, again, to watch it and were not responding to Girouette's calls. Although Vent and Aile were the most balanced of the Biometal matches he had been able to find, it didn't change the fact that they were inconvenient at best. They were too naive, too 'normal'. They had a deep hatred of the established system but it was born out of a petty desire for revenge, one that wasn't even based on a rational basis, rather than on actually noticing anything wrong with the world in which they lived. As things turned out, they were the least bad of the choices they had been able to find.

In time, he will introduce them to Ciel and then, they'll see if they can be made into the partners he'll need for the coming war but at the moment, what mattered was the mission.

Zero observed from his hiding spot as Girouette approached the two and called for them, only to notice they weren't complying. To Zero, it was fairly obvious why they weren't coming and he couldn't help but sigh as Girouette missed the point once again. Although he was the best choice to protect them, he sure wasn't an exactly model foster father.

Seems he'll have to lend him a hand again.

"The incident ten years ago." he reminded his... 'other self'.

That was the other thing that bothered him. With his long blonde hair and general frame, Girouette had an uncanny similarity to the body that Zero had underneath his armor suit, a fact that had disturbed him the day Girouette had been created and still disturbed him to this day. Technically, considering Girouette's background, it was normal that he'd look so similar to Zero but it still didn't help matters.

"You can see the Slither Inc. building from here. They sure have helped a lot to save this country."

"The country maybe, but ten years ago, their security force couldn't save my mom. We were surrounded by Mavericks... Even now I can still hear the screams of the people. The Mavericks took everything from me." Aile said.

"Yeah. Bigger's not always better. If their security force had come sooner ten years ago... My mom might still be alive too." Vent added, neither of them having turned to face Giro as they delivered their replies.

Zero was tempted to facepalm as Girouette said the worst thing he could have said which then prompted Aile and Vent to once again proclaim their irrational and carefully nurtured hatred of Slither Inc. and everything related to it. Slither Inc. was indeed a rotten organization and both he and Ciel were convinced that underneath the nice guy facade, Serpent was planning something but still, Aile's and Vent's reasons for hating Serpent were very superficial. Considering that they had a very high level of compatibility with Model W and were what could be called 'Chosen Ones', such immature mindsets were undesirable. It was a good thing that the fate of Innerpeace wouldn't be in their hands until they were ready.

The crimson Reploid continued to listen to their conversation via the communicator, wondering for a second how Girouette managed to bear with this kind of speech all day. On second thought, he doesn't care and don't want to know.

"Hey Boss, just who are those Guardians we took the job request from? They haven't even told us what's in the package they want delivered so badly."

You can trust Vent to ask the wrong question at the wrong moment. Still, it was the first smart and relevant thing to come out of those three's mouths in the last few days and it rekindled Zero's interest in the conversation. Let's see if Girouette will actually be capable of playing his role correctly for once and if Aile and Vent will finally start questioning what they're told instead of swallowing it whole...

"The Guardians are a defense force that banded together to fight the Mavericks. Right now, they're moving from place to place investigating the cause of Maverick outbreaks. As for the package, try not to ask too many questions. I'm sure it's very important and very dangerous. Don't get too involved or there might be trouble."

The explanation about the Guardians was good but the one regarding the package definitely wasn't. This time, the sigh that came was from the communicator as Ciel, listening from her command room, shared Zero's opinion on Giro's latest goof. If you want a package to pass by unnoticed, you pass it off as mundane, you do NOT flaunt about how dangerous, important, and special it may be. Thankfully for the success of the mission but unfortunately for the long-term mission of making Vent and Aile into proper agents, the two failed to grasp the opportunity to question the mission and simply got on their bikes.

Well at least, they were moving again. Personally, he couldn't believe that such an important mission as the transfer of the Model X Biometal from the western research station to the main HQ had been given to Girouette. Ciel's argument had been that in order for the Biometal to slip by the enemy's detection network, it would be best to pass it off as a mundane object and ferry it via Girouette's transport company. Of course, what Ciel had apparently forgotten was that Giro was permanently dragging Vent and Aile in tow and that it was vital that those two did not get into contact with Model X until they were ready. Ciel's reply to his concern had been a naughty smirk and her parroting that she believed in him. Remembering this made him smile a bit from the irony. For once that she was the one coming up with the bold, suicidal plan and instead of agreeing, he was disapproving. No wonder she had given him that amused look when she saw his expression.

Still, Girouette wasn't doing so badly. The only thing that could really make things go badly would be if Mavericks attacked but Zero doubted it could happen. Slither Inc. forces were nearby and although Serpent was a confirmed Maverick, he seemed content keeping up a facade of being a nice guy for the moment being, which was fairly convenient.

Suddenly, deafening noises were heard from the communicator, proving to Zero that, once more, taunting Murphy was not a smart idea.

Giro, Vent, and Aile quickly jumped behind their bikes, ducking underneath as Galleon Hunters begun to shoot at them. Zero cursed internally. Galleon Hunters were the main soldiers employed universally as a replacement for the old Neo Arcadian Pantheons and Variants. Like their ancestors, Galleons were mass produced humanoid-sized Reploids made from extremely cheap materials that tended to blow up at the slightest provocation. Unfortunately, unlike their predecessors, Galleons had a high level of intelligence and a frustratingly good aim with their arm-mounted Busters. Just like their predecessors, they were like more than an annoyance that Zero could swat away in droves but fact is, Vent and Aile were squishy, unarmored Humanoids, hybrids born from the union of humans and Reploids, not unlike Zero's late children, so many long years ago. Girouette did have a boon of his own if things went badly but using it in front of Vent and Aile would blow his cover pretty soundly.

Could he actually throw himself in the fray and then pretend he was in a random rampage and just didn't notice them?

That was a dumb idea and Zero knew it. He could only grit his teeth as Girouette took out his own Buster pistol and tried to fight off the Galleons. Unfortunately, Girouette's Buster pistol was a generic civilian model popgun much unlike Zero's customized, military-grade handgun. It just didn't have the firepower and precision to kill Galleons with any kind of real speed.

BOOM!

That explosion was definitely something Zero did not want to see and hear. Especially not in the location he saw. For a moment, his face turned a funny color as the bike between which Vent and Aile had hidden was blown up, sending the both of them flying off the cliff.

"Are you reading this, Ciel? Tell me we just didn't lose them!"

"Thank goodness! The transmitters malfunctioned for a second due to the impacts but their life signs are stable. It seems that bushes at the foot of the cliff cushioned their landing. They don't appear injured, just a bit shocked."

"Good. Since the coast is clear, I'll go and pull Giro out of that mess. Zero, out."

The crimson Reploid straightened himself for a second before shutting down his communicator and taking on his characteristic fighting stance. Kicking into the ground, Zero sent himself dashing out of his hiding place, unsheathing his Z-Saber in the middle of his dash, catching the first few members of the Galleon crowd as he charged into their formation. Noticing the new threat, the Galleons lost interest in Giro and instead begun trying to gun down the strange Reploid that had begun to cut them to ribbons.

Taking it as his cue, the blonde-haired man put his Buster back into his pocket and took out a strange object instead.

"MegaMerge!" he yelled, the object glowing in an intense light for a second.

Only a moment later, what seemed to be a helmet-less clone of Zero wearing a visor dashed into the fray, swinging its own replica of the Z-Saber at the Galleons. With Giro now in his Mega Man Z form, the Galleons couldn't help but grow nervous as both the transformed man and the crazy red Reploid turned their ranks into tiny bite-sized chunks faster than a meat grinder could. Still, they had been designed to be stubborn and persistent and they futilely kept firing at the two red men, the two effortlessly dodging their attacks without even slowing down with their own.

Within a few minutes, it was over as Zero swung his Z-Saber, separating the last Galleon's head from its shoulders. With the last Galleon down, the red Reploid turned to his replica, frowning. He knew that he should be thankful that he made himself useful but on another hand, the red Reploid just didn't like looking at him, especially when he's transformed. It just... creeped him out. Maybe it was just a bias or something but it disturbed him, always had.

Still, for now, he guessed he'd forget about it since he helped out. After all, he had more important business to take care of. He activated the communicator once more.

"So what's the status down there, Ciel?"

"Vent and Aile have just recovered the Biometal and... oh dear."

"What now? What happened?" for some reason, Ciel was annoyed. Ciel was about the sweetest, most pleasant person Zero knew and he was genuinely surprised to hear a true note of anger in her voice.

"Prairie and two Guardian recruits have teleported nearby to investigate the explosion."

Zero wondered for a moment if he had done anything to cause Murphy to go ballistic like this.

"Zero... a Slither Inc. combat mechaniloid is closing in to Prairie's position. There is no way that those two Guardian agents can fight it off."

This wasn't simply Murphy going ballistic at this point, it was the entire universe coming down upon them in a vengeful, berserk fury. "Tell Prairie to evacuate immediately. I can handle showing myself in front of Aile and Vent but if Prairie sees me helping her, it will blow our cover. Get her off the battlefield ASAP!"

There was a short pause and then, the communicator came alive again.

"She won't! She says that the Biometal is too important!"

Things can't get worse, Zero was sure of it.

"Zero! The battle mechaniloid! It somehow made it all the way to them! It is curr-... oh no! It just injured the Guardians! It's going for Prairie! It-it... Zero! Aile and Vent got in its way! It's going for... no! Zero! Do something! Now!"

For a second, Zero wondered why he bothered getting up this morning in the first place. Sighing to himself, he prepared himself to dash off the cliff toward the scene but suddenly, he felt... strange. A familiar feeling entered his body and caused him to pause for a moment.

"Zero! Watch!"

It was Giro, standing by the edge of the cliff. The Reploid quickly ran to the edge and looked down to see a scene most unexpected unfolding before him.

* * *

They were clearly outmatched, it was more than obvious. The two weird guys in green suits, Guardians they called themselves, had tried to shoot at the giant mechanical snake but the bullets just bounced off its armor. Still, it had seemingly been driven away and the two, growing overconfident, begun to give pursuit... only for the snake turn around and slam its tail into them, knocking them down.

The strange girl in the pink clothes with the funny hat dashed to the closest one and knelt down, seemingly in shock as he told her to take the package and run with it. But she seemed not to have heard. To Vent, the situation was quite obvious.

"Hey! Please get up! We need to move! They're after the package! Just leave it! If we take it with us, they'll hunt us down!"

The pink girl sprung up and both Aile and Vent calmed down for a second... only to notice her shaking her head.

"But I can't let the Biometal fall into the wrong hands!"

Biometal? What's a Biometal? Aile stepped forward.

"Is that Biometal thing that important! Come on, we have to go! Quickly!"

"But... Sis... She needs it at any cost. It's too valuable to just give it up now!"

The giant snake Pseudoroid found itself a bit dazed, finding itself shot at. To be fair, Giga Aspis wasn't exactly sure why Serpent chose him for the mission considering that he was a lightly armored prototype. But then, the boss had begun to act quite strangely ever since those two weirdos, Prometheus and Pandora, had shown up.

Whatever the reason was, all that he knew was that the Biometal Mode X was right in front of him and that the only thing between him and it was that stupid girl in the pink silly clothes. Those two green guys were an unpleasant surprise so instead of attacking right away, he simply placed himself in front of the girl and raised his frame, hissing loudly. Maybe that if he scared them, they'd give up the Biometal without a fight?

However, it seems that things wouldn't be so easy as two teens in blue and white clothes jumped in front of the girl, blocking his path.

"I know Giro told us not to get too involved... But she seems to think the Biometal is very important." said the girl, her resolve fading as she noticed the size of the mechaniloid. He sure looked a lot bigger up close.

"You've got to be kidding! And what now, Aile? We can't handle this alone! We don't even have weapons!"

"Errr... I... I don't know what we should do..."

Vent rolled his eyes. And they said that he was the one who acted reckless most of the time. What a joke, they were going to die because a funny girl in pink clothes thinks a piece of metal is more important than her life.

"Don't worry. I'll lend you a hand."

The two teens and the snake all paused as the package, the so-called Biometal, begun to float into the air, glowing. A voice had come from it, telling the two that it would help it. Then, suddenly, the two Humanoids became covered in light.

"Biolink established! M.E.G.A. System Online!"

The snake mechaniloid backed away as the two teens were raised into the air by an unknown force, an incredible show of light going on as massive strands of data flowed from the Biometal and converged around the two teens. This reminded Giga Aspis of the strange upgrades that the other Slither Inc. officers had received and frankly, if it was what he thought it was, he wouldn't like it.

Then, suddenly, all of the data was compressed into the girl, her body starting to change. Armor plates formed all over her body, her legs and arms became encased in armored boots and gloves, and a helmet appeared on her head. As the light faded, she seemed to be a feminized version of X, complete with X-Buster on her arm.

Energy gathered as Aile instinctively charged the X-Buster and then let loose, firing a huge shot of blue energy that slammed violently into Giga Aspis's forehead. Reeling from the impact, the world spun around Giga Aspis, his eyes crossing out.

There was absolutely no freakin' way that he'll try fighting a Mega Man.

"I'm... I'm not paid enough for this..." he whispered to himself before drilling into the ground, putting as much distance between himself and those crazy teens as possible.

With the giant Maverick out of the way, Aile stood still, panting. For a moment, she wondered if she was just somehow imagining the whole thing.

Then, she noticed Vent, standing by her side, eyes widened. She glanced down at herself and noticed that she was gripping her arm... only her arm was different now. It had an oval shape, like an arm-mounted Buster. In fact, as she looked at it more carefully, she noticed that it was indeed now an arm-mounted Buster weapon, her entire body now covered in armor.

"What happened to me? Is this the power of the Biometal!"

A voice echoed inside of her mind. "Don't be afraid. I'm Biometal Model X."

The girl almost tripped on her own feet. Vent couldn't believe what he was seeing either. But seeing Aile trip, he caught her, stopping her fall, and helped her get back on her feet.

Model X couldn't help but sigh internally. If those two begun to panic now, things would quickly get unpleasant. They needed to get moving.

"We have to move away from here or that girl will get caught in the middle." it said, catching Aile's attention. It seemed like she wasn't catching what he was meaning so he elaborated. "With our combined strength, we can fight the Mavericks off!"

She turned to Vent. "I know it sounds unbelievable but I'm... I'm feeling a strange power coming from that Biometal thing. I think we'll be able to fight them off!"

He nodded. He had felt the power go through him when the biolink, whatever that was, traversed his body. It all seemed so unbelievable but with this Biometal's power, they would be able to complete their assignment, Mavericks or not. He turned to face the strange girl in the pink clothes. She was helping her two friends get up. They seemed to be talking, whispering about 'Chosen Ones' whatever that meant. He didn't really pay attention.

"Hey, you! We need to deliver this Biometal thing to the rendezvous point, right? You just wait here!"

He turned back and ran to Aile's side only for the girl in pink to interrupt them.

"W-Wait!"

They turned to face her, wondering what she wanted. She seemed somehow flustered as she stepped forward.

"I have a name! Prairie. The name's Prairie."

The two teens looked at each others, smiling.

"Sorry. My name's Vent and this is Aile." said the male teen, pointing to the transformed girl next to him. "We'll be your transporters! Just stay here. We'll get help!"

"Okay... be careful!" she said, waving at them as the two turned away and then broke into a run, heading toward the planned rendezvous point as quickly as they could.

* * *

"You're reading this, Ciel?"

"Yes."

"Shall I intervene?"

"No. I think they'll manage from here. Still, this was a close one and I think many questions will be asked. Return to base for now. Girouette will continue his own mission on his own for now."

"Understood. I'm coming back to base. Zero, out."

Zero deactivated the communicator and turned to Girouette.

"So... what are Ciel s orders?" he asked.

"We proceed as planned so stay transformed. I'm going back to base. This situation will doubtlessly cause a lot of questions to be asked so let us defuse it."

The long-haired blonde man got up, his body glowing as he returned to his original shape. "Understood. Take care, Zero."

Without even waiting for the red Reploid's reply, Girouette walked to his bike and then resumed his own mission. All things considering, it seemed like things hadn't gone as badly as they could have. On one hand, he was deeply upset that Vent and Aile had learnt of the power so early but on another hand, those two were in good hands. While those two would get on with the intended mission, he had questions of his own.

This area was under Slither Inc. protection. This kind of attack shouldn't have happened. Which meant that either that had been a goof on Serpent's part... or the enemy had finally begun to move.

* * *

"What? What kind of non-sense is this? A blue Mega Man?"

"Yes, a blue Mega Man! If you don't believe me, I can start sending the visual data right now." said Giga Aspis in his communicator.

"And just where that blue Mega Man came from? None of the people in the area, Guardians, civilians, or Legion goons, have potential as matches for a Biometal! Giga Aspis, this is why you have not been given a Biometal fragment like the other officers. You constantly blunder and you make excuses instead of getting your act together!"

"I swear it's true boss! I'll... I'll begin sending the data right n-"

"Save it. I'm not interested right now. Get your unit back there and get that Biometal, you understand? And no more stories about a 'blue Mega Man'!"

The giant snake-shaped Pseudoroid cringed as the communication was forcibly cut. Obviously, his report hadn't gone over well. A few of the Galleons around the snake sighed, some of them facepalming, others shaking their heads in dismay.

The noise of jet engine attracted the Pseudoroid's attention. He blinked a few times before seeing a Galleon with large jet engines somewhat shaped like wings approaching and then landing in front of him. It stepped forward and saluted.

"Reporting, sir!" it called.

"So what was that explosion about? Why did the Guardians shoot at me?"

"Mavericks, sir Aspis! They attacked the transporters."

The color drained from Giga Aspis's face. This was a massive, critical goof. This whole area was under his jurisdiction. If Serpent learnt that he had let Mavericks wander unopposed in his territory and attack Guardians in the open, he would be fired!

More importantly, this explained why those Guardians had shot at him.

Serpent had written the orders personally, stating that he had to intercept the transporters before they reached their rendezvous point and then convince them to hand over the Biometal on promise that the Slither Inc. would be a safer bet for a delivery to the Guardians. Then, they'd swap the Biometal for a fake one and hand over the fake to the Guardians. By the time they notice they've been given a fake, the records and papers proving the fraud will be hopelessly lost in the maze of Slither Inc.'s administration.

That plan had soundly fallen apart because of that Maverick attack. For a moment, Giga Aspis wondered which Galleon had been dumb enough to let a bunch of Mavericks slip by but it was a lost cause and all blame is bound to fall squarely on him now.

He had tried to salvage the plan by using his size to intimidate the transporters and Guardians into giving up the Biometal and it had almost worked but then, that girl transformed into a Mega Man.

He knew that he wasn't fit for the job! He was a young lightly armored prototype, the lowest-ranked among the Slither Inc. Pseudoroids! He knew that things would go sour! And now, he'll most definitely lose his job! If him failing to bring the Biometal back doesn't motivate Serpent to fire him, the fact that he let a bunch of Mavericks wander around and shoot at people randomly will!

Giga Aspis thought frantically, trying to come up with a solution. If he tries to fight that Mega Man head-on, he will definitely get pasted and he frankly got no desire to die. But he can't just sit there and... wait!

Giga Aspis's unit was the weakest out of all the Slither Inc. units, with mostly inexperienced and underequipped agents. He and all of his units were peace-keeping robots made up of untested prototypes and they had little military grade weapons, nothing that could really threaten a Mega Man... except for that one piece of equipment.

Yes! It would definitely work!

There is that Rayfly cargo plane at his base. It's not designed for combat but if he loads the thing with turrets, they may be used to overwhelm that stupid Mega Man! Then, the Biometal is taken from it when it's knocked out and replaced with a fake! When the transporters try to sue Slither Inc. for the attack, shift the blame back on them by claiming that the transporter's Mega Man appearance made everyone think it was part of the Maverick force intruding upon Giga Aspis's territory!

It was insanely risky but if it worked, it would save his job and maybe even make him appear competent for once!

"Here are my orders. I want a squad to be deployed and to observe the blue Mega Man from a safe distance. Do not engage it or the Guardians!"

"And what do we do if we get caught boss? None of us are really equipped with stealth technology..." protested one of the Galleons.

"Err... erhmmm... well, claim that you were investigating recent Maverick appearances in the area!" he replied quickly before turning back to the jets-wearing Galleon.

"I want you to head back to base and tell them to load the Rayfly cargo plane with automated defense turrets, functional ones. Tell them to shut down the auto-pilot functions for the Rayfly so that it may be remote controlled."

"Errr... yes sir! If you say so, sir!"

With that said, the Galleon took off. Giga Aspis looked at it as it flew off into the distance. With some hope, that new plan will go well and save his job. It's difficult finding work when you're a giant snake-shaped Pseudoroid.

* * *

Yet another Galleon Hunter bit the dust as the huge, blue fireball slammed into its frame. Not designed to fend off the kind of firepower that a true arm-mounted military grade Buster could dish out, the Galleon's armor plates seemed to vaporize into fine dust in a way not unlike a sand castle's structure falling apart as an angry child kicked into it. The fireball emerged from the Galleon and went on to impact the nearest tree, the unfortunate drone Reploid's armor and organs having barely absorbed any portion of the lethal shot before being turned into fine ashes.

As Aile finished off the last Galleon, she looked frantically around her, looking for another Maverick to process in this manner. With the area cleared, she finally calmed down.

Beside her, Vent couldn't help but whistle at the extent of the destruction his partner had caused. Biometal sure was powerful stuff! Still, he wondered about one thing...

"Say, Model X? Why didn't I get the same kind of transformation as Aile did? That 'biolink' thing I sensed was real, right?"

"For the last time, yes, the Biolink has been successfully achieved. I physically merge during the MegaMerge process and I had to pick one of you at random for the transformation. You will get you turn. Be patient."

Suddenly, the ground shook. It was then that Vent's eyes widened. Aile noticed it almost simultaneously. Something huge and purple, crawling around the trees!

It was then that Giga Aspis and Aile came face to face once again. The giant snake Pseudoroid stopped right in its tracks as it found itself with the blue Mega Man staring straight at him again. Then, slowly, his entire frame begun to shake and he rose himself high. Then, he hissed incredibly loudly at the two. He truly was a terrifying sight.

However, Aile was feeling more confident that she had blasted a few Galleons and she wasn't going to let that snake bully her twice! Once more, her Buster begun to glow as she charged up.

The snake's eyes widened and he seemed to retreat. However, this was a trick that she had seen before and she did not pursue, letting the snake's tail slam the ground. Still, the impact was so violent that she almost lost her footing, the hit sending bits of dirt flying all over the place. Vent had the unpleasant experience of getting dirt in his hair, motivating him to put some distance between himself and the fight.

As Giga Aspis turned around and noticed that his attack had entirely missed, Aile unloaded her Buster weapon, firing a shot straight into his face. But unlike last time, she followed by channeling the leftover energy into her other arm and then making a punching motion, firing a second charged shot. Both shots hit their mark, causing the gigantic snake Pseudoroid to reel backward.

For a moment, Giga Aspis wondered since when birds had gained access to transervers as he saw little birdies fly circles around his head, the entire world spinning around him. Although this reminded him that he had skipped breakfast this morning, the splotch of blue in his blurry vision intrigued him and soon enough, as he focused again, he realized that he was facing a Mega Man, the last thing he had planned to do and the last thing he wanted to do too.

Panic gripping his entire body, he opened his mouth wide and took a shot with his only equipped weapon, a fire-elemental Buster in his mouth. This experimental piece of equipment was nifty in the way that it shot a neat spread of four fireballs made of plasma set ablaze that spun like a wheel toward its target. It looked really fancy but it was unfortunately not nearly as practical as a real Buster and lacked real firepower.

How impractical the weapon truly is was demonstrated as the shot, despite being perfectly aimed, missed entirely, the four flames impacting around Aile. The residual sparks created from the impact did splash over her but with the blue armor protecting her body, she barely felt it allowing her to unload a second salvo of Buster shots.

This time, Giga Aspis's forehead armor plate cracked dangerously and red liquid splashed over his eyes as a splitting headache came to him, causing him to reel backward, spasming violently as he let out an agonized wail. His armor had been breached, part of his circuitry damaged by that last shot. It then occurred to him that the liquid over his eyes was his own blood, that he was injured, and that his survival would be counted in seconds unless he found a way out of there.

Despite the world spinning wildly around him and his head throbbing in pain, the snake Pseudoroid made a desesperate dive for the ground, drilling into it as fast as he could, desesperately wanting to get away from that awful girl that was attacking and killing him for no reason. Weakened by Aile's attacks, the giant snake's constant twitching made his movements awkward and slower, the snake unable to get away nearly as quickly as the first time. Not wishing to let that stupid snake get away so easily this time, Aile aimed and unloaded one last salvo of Buster shots... but to her displease, Giga Aspis finished drilling and dived underground, the shots bouncing off his tougher lower body armor.

A moment passed as Aile stood there, as if waiting to be attacked but as silence soon came to the area, she calmed down and in a flash of light, her body returned to normal, Model X separating from her and floating as Vent approached. Satisfied, she turned to her partner.

"Guess that about mops them up."

They nodded to each others before turning to Model X.

"Say... you said your name was Model X, right? Why did you help us?" asked Vent.

Model X smiled... until he realized he had no face and thus, that it just seemed like he wasn't giving an answer. The two didn't seem to notice the momentary goof.

"Do I need a reason to help people? You seemed determined to help that girl even though you've never met her before. I just gave your bravery a little power to back it up."

"Power, huh?" repeated Aile. "Well, whatever you did, it saved our hides. Bravery alone isn't enough to fight those things..."

The pause that followed was truly awkward though. Model X wasn't exactly sure what to make of that last one. The fact that the other one, Vent apparently, seemed to share the same opinion, if his expression was any indication, wasn't helping. Thankfully, Vent spoke up.

"The rendezvous point is up ahead." as he said that, he begun to walk forward, motioning to his partner. "Let's go."

Aile nodded and grabbed into Model X, following closely. Model X wanted for a moment to mention that he could move by himself but he figured it was a lost cause and anyway, he figured he might as well go with it for the moment being...

The walk to the rendezvous point, a transerver station, was just a minute away. As the two of them entered the room, they found it quite crowded, with at least eleven of those Guardian guys waiting in the room. One of them, apparently the leader if his weird helmet was any indication, was standing just next to the transerver itself. He was... quite weird. He was obviously an adult and yet, he was smaller than them and had a child-like appearance to him in a way. Quite the weirdo but then, those Guardians guys seem very weird to begin with.

But well, weird or not, the two of them are transporters and their job is to deliver the package.

"We're the transporters. We brought the package. Here it is." said Vent, taking the Biometal out of his pocket and showing it to the Guardians. "Some of your comrades need your help, by the way. There has been a Maverick attack back where we come from."

"Yeah." added Aile. "There is a girl named Prairie among them."

This made every single Guardian in the room jump, their eyes widening.

"No way!" one of them went before gesturing to the others. "Come on! Prairie and the others need us!"

The Guardians barged out of the room so fast that they almost knocked the two transporters down on the way out, leaving the two teens quite confused. Aile scratched her head at the situation. They had not even bothered with the Biometal, going straight for Prairie instead...

"What's their rush? Those Guardians seem to think that Prairie is very important."

"Tell me about it." replied Vent. "Everyone seems awfully worried about that Prairie girl..."

Vent then noticed that the shortie, the only Guardian that hadn't left in panic, was now awfully close to them, looking them over. For some reason, this made Vent feel uneasy and he stepped back. The short Guardian guy didn't seem to mind. Vent suddenly found him very creepy.

"Amazing... It looks like you've managed to link up with the Biometal. Anyway, I'm glad it made it to us safe and sound."

Vent suddenly had a weird feeling, as if he was missing something, something obvious. Then, it struck him and he became nearly as worried as the Guardians had been.

"Hold on. There was a man traveling with us. You haven't seen him have you?"

That made the realization sink in for Aile as well and her expression soon mimicked her partner's.

"Have you seen Giro? There should be another transporter. Has he arrived yet?"

"No. You're the only ones that I've seen so far."

The two teens looked at each others. Needless to say, this was making them worried sick.

"Maybe... he just hasn t arrived yet?"

Vent glared at her. Although he figured that she was only trying to release tension, she was only making him even more worried and frankly, this wasn't the right moment or place to panic.

Then, after a moment, the short Guardian brought a hand to one of his ears as his communicator came to life.

"This is the rescue squad! We've found the others! We'll treat the wounded and then back to HQ."

The shortie smiled and nodded to himself. A job well done indeed. But then, as he noticed the two transporters and their expressions, he raised an eyebrow. On one hand, the Biometal was the important point... on another hand, Giro was their best undercover agent and seemed rather important to those two. If he simply ignored this situation, Prairie will have a fit and probably fire him.

"Hold on. You haven't spotted another transporter out there, have you? Apparently a transporter has gone missing in the area."

There was a pause and then, suddenly, the short Guardian heard the sounds of gunfire over the communicator. He frowned, guessing what this meant.

"Hey! Just over the cliff, there's some serious smoke rising and we can hear the sound of gunfire. It's totally like someone has fallen under attack!"

"No... Giro!"

The Guardians swore under his breath. Those two teens had heard about it. They were probably going to panic, he guessed... only it didn't happen. Instead, they stepped forward, determination in their eyes.

"We're going to need to borrow this Biometal a little longer. We need to save him!" said Vent, grasping the Biometal.

"What!" he couldn't believe what he was hearing here. Those two kids couldn't be serious! "You would put the Biometal at risk again!"

"Oh I see! Now that your precious package is here, you don't care anymore about the guys who risked their lives to deliver it!" exploded Aile, her face turning red.

"Aile! The boss is in danger. We don't have time to argue with him!" interrupted Vent.

He had heard more than enough. Frankly? Taking care of Giro was one thing but risking the Biometal was another. This mission had been stressed many times as more important than the involved agents' lives. So frankly, if he has to knock those two idiots out, he'll do it. It was at this moment that Prairie s voice came from the transporter.

"Fleuve. Let them go."

The Guardian mechanic blinked a few times, turning to his communicator. Seems he had forgotten to turn it off and that Prairie had heard everything. Still, why would she say that? Still... it wasn't his role to question her. He rolled his eyes, sighing in defeat. This will not end well...

"Okay okay, I got it! We'll provide backup then."

He turned to the two. "Okay, so I got orders from HQ. We got two missions for you to complete. One is to find your fellow transporter. The other mission is to complete a trial in order to get permission to enter Guardian HQ. Complete the two missions and return the Biometal at HQ. At HQ, we'll sign off the transporter request and your work will be done."

"I see..." said Vent, before turning to Aile. "It would be best if each of us took one mission. Which one do you wish to pick?"

Aile seemed to stare at the back of the room for a moment, as if thinking hard. Memories flowed and after a while, she turned back to her partner, her gaze focused.

"Te n years ago, Giro saved me from the Mavericks... Now it's my turn to return the favor."

Vent nodded. He understood the feeling. He, too, owed to him his life. "Alright, I trust you to save the boss."

He handed the Biometal to Aile, who ran back the way she came toward the cliff area. Vent, him, went the opposite way, heading toward Innerpeace. A trial, hmmm? Wonder what kind of trial they'll ask him to complete...

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	4. ZX, Rookies

**To AgeofAdvent: **Thank you for the review. Glad you liked the intro for the previous chapter... although the news that Zero was listening to were news from Legion's news channel, not Serpent's.

**Note: **Thanks to Lord Raa for helping me with the grammar of this chapter, my usual beta reader having been unavailable in the last few days.

Enjoy everyone!

* * *

**Megaman ZX**

Rookies

* * *

With the last of the enemies cut in pieces, the red Mega Man froze in his combat stance, eyes darting back and forth, trying to see if there were any other targets to attack. None of his scanners seemed to detect anything, his visor's display showing that indeed, he was done with this squad.

Girouette relaxed briefly, sheathing his Z-Saber. It was strange. After he and his original had defeated the initial group of Mavericks, a new one had arrived just as he had resumed his mission. Apparently, Ciel had told him to give priority to the other mission rather than to the protection of Vent and Aile. Personally, it confused him as the Chosen Ones are vital to Ciel's plans but then, he had not been programmed to question her and thus, he had complied immediately.

This did not really matter quite frankly. Still, the last few Galleon Mavericks had run away to that base in the distance when they had begun to suffer too many casualties. His memory bank was telling him that this was a Slither Inc. base for this district. He could see the Mavericks out there talking with the Slither Inc. employees. It probably meant that the Slither Inc. was in league with those Mavericks and had probably even launched that attack on purpose, probably to steal the Biometal and eliminate the Chosen Ones.

Girouette took on his battle stance again. It is his duty as the red Mega Man to eliminate Ciel's enemies. He does not care who or what the foe is, he shall not hesitate. If an enemy appears, he shall destroy it!

* * *

"For the last time, we will not let you in unless you have an authorization!"

The Galleon Hunter swore mentally, wishing for a second that he was like the Pantheons of old. Life must have been simple for them, being too stupid and simple in their programming to understand how dull and boring the life of a grunt was... especially when dealing with something like Legion's security forces.

Really, what were those Legion Galleons thinking? This was a Slither Inc. district base, private property! They have no right to waltz in and demand access like this! So what if they are under attack by a Maverick, they are Legion agents! After all, they constantly parrot that they can take on any enemy.

"I am not designed for extended arguments! As the leader of this Legion squad, I invoke my authority and demand that you let us in!"

The Slither Inc. guard shook his head again. "And I will repeat, once more, that as per the law, this is private property belonging to Slither Inc. and if you wish to enter, you need an official authorization! Contact the Serpent Inc. and fill the forms!"

But unfortunately, the Legion Galleon did not take no as an answer. "I am an agent of Legion! I represent the government! I represent the law!"

This was leading nowhere. The guard wished for a moment that he was a real, unique Reploid rather than a Galleon drone. An agent with an actual mind and true free will would probably be able to come up with a way to shut this idiot up but at the moment, the Galleon found that it had not been programmed to deal with such people and it caused it much grief.

About a second later, the Legion Galleon lost its head as a weird man with girly hair in a red armor jumped out of nowhere and cleaved it in two. For a moment, the Galleon thought that maybe it was the Red Demon but visual identification shown that it lacked the helmet required and had a few other design differences. A moment later, the man thrust his sword into the Galleon, solving its frustration problem forever.

* * *

Aile couldn't help but feel worried. When she had returned to the last place where she saw Giro, the entire area looked like a war zone, the bodies of the Galleons covering the ground. On one hand, it relieved her as Giro had obviously defeated the Mavericks but what had confused her was the state of the bodies. Giro used a Buster pistol, she knew that.

So why had the bodies been cleanly cut in pieces? A Buster pistol certainly did not cause such injuries!

She had followed the trail of bodies and grew a bit confused. She knew that Giro was brave but the number of Maverick corpses was really surprising. But what had outright shocked her was when she had walked in there.

This seemed to be the entrance to a military base of sorts and she could see the Slither Inc. logo on the gate but well, fact is, she could see it on what was left of the gate. The place was littered with debris and there were marks all over the walls, as if someone had struck into them with a blade repeatedly. Likewise, the various mechaniloids all around were cut into pieces of various sizes.

Still, maybe it will lead to Giro?

"Aile? Come in Aile."

The teen's eyes widened. Where had that come from? For a moment, she looked around frantically until she heard a mental sigh coming from Model X. A second later, she somehow knew that she had a communicator... somehow. Why did she have one? She didn't remember carrying one with her...

Still, she pressed a finger on her wrist and was amazed when indeed, she realized that she did have a communicator now.

"About the Mavericks that attacked us, something with the whole thing is bothering me." It was Prairie, she could recognize the voice. "There might be a clue in the ruins about what's causing the Maverick outbreaks. Could you check them out and see if you can find something?"

"Err... I guess so," she said, tentatively.

There was silence for a moment and then, Prairie spoke again. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes yes, it is. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you. Prairie, out," and with that said, the transmission ended.

Aile blinked a few times before it jumped at her. She frowned, taking Model X out of her pocket. "Alright, since when do I have a communicator?"

"I took the liberty of giving you one when I established the biolink. I thought you'd find it convenient. I gave one to your friend as well," it answered as if it was normal.

Aile wasn't sure of it at all. Still, she guessed that having a communicator might be convenient to keep in touch with the customers.

"Just don't put stuff on me without telling me next time, okay?"

Another sigh from Model X. "Fine, I will tell you next time if I have to do something like this again."

With this cleared up, the teen put the Biometal into her pocket again. So, there might be a clue in the ruins about the Maverick attacks? For a moment, she wondered why Prairie would think that. Mavericks were immoral murderers. They didn't need a reason to attack people. Still, since she was a customer and she was there, she guessed she could do this for her.

But as she walked around, she began to realize that she did not know what to look for. What exactly could be a clue about the Maverick attacks? What kind of clue should she look for?

Again, Model X figured he might as well help. It was a mixed blessing, he guessed. On one hand, he finally had someone who would carry him around, allowing him to do things other than gather dust in a lab. On another hand, this Chosen One was a bit clueless to say the least. In a way, her innocence was fleeting and well, she did put her life at risk to help people despite not knowing anything about the ones she saved. Still, it didn't change the fact that the world was a harsh place and could prove hostile, especially to clueless people. Although she had asked not to help her too much and that he wished to honor that request, the truth was that without a hint, she'd probably wander the ruins until the authorities or the Guardians dragged her out.

"Aile?"

The teen was busy struggling with a door when the Biometal came to life. The stupid thing refused to open for some reason, as if jammed. Hearing Model X's voice, she took it out of her pocket.

"You're looking for a clue regarding the attacks, aren't you?"

"This is what Prairie asked me to, yes."

Model X glanced around him. The place was littered with bodies, the broken shapes of Galleons, Metools, and other mechaniloids covering the floor. Despite the advanced electronic brains that Reploids had, computer chips were still commonly used and even necessary. A Maverick's control chip would reveal, upon analysis, various facts such as its programmed orders if any, who had entered the orders, and other such bits of information.

"Try looking for a computer chip."

Aile blinked a few times. How would a computer chip help them? It wasn't like they needed to build or repair a computer of sorts! Still, that Model X thing had given her good advice for the moment being and well, it was better than just searching the area at random.

But where would she find a computer chip? She looked at the bodies and guessed that they were probably too smashed up for their control chips to be useable. But it's then that she had a flash of genius. If she can blow up a Maverick without damaging the head, then she'd be able to extract its computer chip intact!

The area was really smashed up she thought as she continued to go deeper into the base. What could have caused this kind of havoc? Galleons didn't have this kind of firepower!

She then stopped in her track. What seemed to be an old 20st century-styled two brown helmets with radio equipment on its side and with two big eyes and two shoes where the body wearing the helmet should be was walking toward one of the breaches in the wall, followed by a group of four Galleons. Aile clenched her fists. Mavericks, they have to be Mavericks!

The Metool and its cohorts stopped as they noticed what seemed to be a civilian standing in the middle of their base. This was a most unwelcome sight to say the least. Not only did they have to prepare for the blue Mega Man's arrival but they were also busy trying to fend off that crazy red Mega Man who was tearing the base apart. What kind of insanity was this? Was this 'pick on Giga Aspis and his employees' week? That was way too much for them to handle and when they phoned to HQ, they had not believed them!

So, really, they didn't need to deal with civilians strolling inside of their base in the middle of an attack. The Metool stepped forward, trying to bring up enough courage and determination to sound like he was a good authority figure at the moment.

"What are you doing here girl? This is private property and we are in the middle of an attack! This area is not safe for civilians. Please leave!"

To Aile, it was obvious. Those Mavericks were threatening her! They say they're in the middle of an attack? Not if she can do something about that! She'll stop their attack on innocents right in its track!

The Metool rolled his eyes and all of the Galleons would have too if they had eyes as the girl took on a fighting stance. She had no weapons on her! What did she hope to achieve? Besides... why would she even want to fight them? They're being attacked and suddenly, she feel like fighting? Did she go Maverick or something? When she took out some kind of blue rock that seemed like a miniature face or something, the Metool became annoyed. Was she going to throw it at them? He sure didn't want to deal with civilians throwing rocks at him!

"Look girl, it is best if-"

"MEGAMERGE!"

The civilian begun to glow in a strange light, strands of data errupting from the weird rock and covering her. Before their eyes, the figure of the girl begun to hover as the data begun to gather, her body transforming as armor plates begun to form. The Metool took a step back, the whole squad feeling very nervous suddenly.

"Errr... is that normal boss?"

The Metool made a mental note to send a request to the Slither Inc. Humanoid Resources Management office later to fire the Galleon who said that stupidity.

The light seemed to explode and the hearts of the Slither Inc. employees sunk as they found themselves face to face with the blue Mega Man. He wondered for a moment what the Slither Inc. had done to the universe for it to pour down so much hatred upon it and its employees.

The girl, now covered in blue armor from head to toes, pointed a hand toward the group... only it was no longer a hand but an arm-mounted Buster. At this moment, survival instinct triumphed over bravery and the Metool ducked, covering its body under its helmet completely. It made a second mental note. This one was to send the Slither Inc. administration a complaint for misuse of mechaniloid drones. Their small unit is not designed for taking on Mega Man! That's a job for a higher-ranked officer's army, like Protectos's or Leganchor's!

Aile unleashed the energy gathered in her Buster, sending it hurtling straight toward the Metool. Although it was small, it reminded her of that event ten years ago and considering it was a Maverick, that made it a priority target in her mind. However, much to her frustration, the energy of the Buster shot shook the Metool's helmet but despite the metallic impact sound, most of the energy dispersed harmlessly on impact.

Aile gathered her remaining charge power and made a punch motion with her other arm, sending a second charged shot into the Metool. Again, the Metool was hit but suffered no damage, the helmet absorbing the shot without difficulty.

As the girl begun to gather energy again, the Galleons standing around the Metool felt their panic fading away, replaced with their determination to do their duty. As the girl unleashed a second salvo of Buster shots on the Metool, both shots doing absolutely nothing to the small robot, the Galleons' suspicions were confirmed. It was common knowledge that Metools' helmets were made of a special reactive armor that 'vented' energy into the ground when 'grounded', essentially making the Metools invincible to all but the most powerful of kinetic direct hits. As the girl wasted time attacking the Metool, the Galleon Hunters' left arm transformed, revealing their own Busters.

"Darn it! What's wrong with that Maverick?" Aile couldn't believe this. This transformation was filling her with such strength and that Buster was sending the biggest, meanest-looking Buster shots she had ever seen and yet, somehow, that stupid Metool was still standing!

At this moment, the Galleon Hunters aimed at the girl and fired, all together. The four Galleons all fired with the synchronization and precision expected of professionals, putting all three shots of their Busters' salvos squarely into the chest armor plate of the blue Mega Man. Thrown back by the combined strength, Aile lost her concentration and flinched visibly, letting out a frightened, shocked gasp as her entire body shook with pain.

Model X processed the information quickly and sent it into her brain, informing her that her body had taken damage but that the auto-repair systems of her new form had prevented bleeding and had repaired the ribs that had been broken by the impact. Aile wondered for a moment why she took so much damage and Model X sighed inside of her mind.

"Mega Man armor is extremely advanced reactive armor made of a special alloy. Make no mistake, it is very effective and reduce damage to your systems by more than 93 percents. However..." it said, putting a very strong emphasis on the word 'however'. "... you are by no mean invincible. Keep in mind that Galleons are equipped with real Busters, not the kind of popgun your friend carried. If I hadn't helped you, those shots would have vaporized your chest and sent flying all of its contents toward the nearest wall behind you. Try dodging please. I have no desire to see you killed."

Aile gritted her teeth, charging her Busters with as much energy as she could gather. She had fought off that huge snake thing, right? She wouldn't let a small Metool get in her way!

With all of the power she could gather, she shot two fully charged Buster shots in quick succession, aimed at the Metool. She had put all of her power into it, all of it.

... And yet, both shots just succeeded in shaking the helmet a bit and making metallic impact noises.

Again, the Galleons aimed as Aile stood there, not believing what she was seeing. As Aile looked to the others, she noticed too late that while she had wasted time attacking the Metool, they had taken aim and had shot a second salvo. A split second later, she recoiled as each of the four Galleons put a second salvo of three shots per Hunter in her chest again. Her entire body shook out of control, pain surging through her entire frame for a moment.

Again, Model X analyzed the damage and told her in detail about which organs and systems had failed. She didn't understand half of what he said and all that she really understood was that they had again damaged her, something that the infernal pain that she had felt before had told her before Model X had even said one word.

"Thanks for your help, captain obvious!" she spat, frustration creeping into her voice.

Despite her armor, she knew she couldn't take an endless number of shots like this. She had to do something about it. She took glances at the Galleons and saw them aiming for a third salvo. Couldn't they see she was trying to take out this Metool?

Why... why is she having so much difficulty taking out a Metool anyway?

She raised her Buster and pointed it at the Galleon closest to the Metool, the display in her vision indicated that her aim was locked.

This time, she fired only one charged shot, having gathered only half of the energy that the Buster could contain. Still, as the massive blue fireball slammed into the Galleon's chest, its armor, much cheaper and fragile than the one covering Aile, lasted only for a split second before the combined kinetic impact and energy surge ruptured it, the fireball passing straight through the unfortunate robot. The chest came apart, its arms sent spiraling to the ground, the head rolling backward. It shattered nicely upon hitting the ground.

This didn't prevent the remaining three Galleons from shooting, coldly ignoring or even not noticing their fallen comrade. They had not been programmed to act upon feelings of fear and with their two last salvos having hit home, they had a foolish hope that maybe, just maybe, they might win the encounter.

Aile saw the streams of yellow oval bullets fly from her opponents' Busters and saw that the end destination of those shots was her. For a moment, she panicked as she only had a second to dodge but Model X fed her information and in the rush of the moment, her instinct drove her to use the information.

Aile leaned forward and quickly dashed to the side, her entire frame sliding alongside the ground as the emergency acceleration systems in her boots activated. Her armor absorbed the stress from the acceleration and her internal systems guided her legs, allowing her to gracefully and instantly stop the manoeuvre once she was out of the targeted area, the Galleons' shots sailing past where she had been and hitting the wall behind where she had been.

With her having dodged the attack, she pointed her Buster straight at the Metool, firing single shots, watching as the yellow oval shots bounced off of its helmet doing no more effect than the charged shots. On one hand, it wasn't that surprising but it aggravated her greatly. How could that Metool soak up so much damage?

Again, she glanced up to the Galleons. They were, again, aiming at her. They just didn't give up, didn't they?

"Gah! How much more persistent can they get?" she muttered despite knowing that she was pretty much only talking to herself.

It was also then that she noticed the head of the Galleon she just destroyed, smashed in pieces. This... wouldn't do at all. Why had the head been blown up like this, anyway?

She decided to go with weaker shots, just spraying the two Galleons to the left of the Metool with uncharged shots. The purple mechaniloid drones flinched slightly as the bullets slammed into their bodies, absorbing the shots but after the full salvo hit them, they slowly lowered their Busters and collapsed, one forward, his head shattering as he fell forehead-first into a piece of debris. The other one fell to the side, his head cracking as he hit the ground.

Aile swore under her breath. She had never thought Galleons could be made of such cheap stuff.

It was at this moment that she learnt that stopping paying attention during a fight was rather hazardous to one's health as the last remaining Galleon hit Aile in the side with yet another salvo of Buster shots. The teen almost lost her footing, trying to get ahold of herself as her body shook with pain.

Aile began to feel slightly dizzy, Model X analyzing the damage.

"Damage is getting critical, chest body armor has failed, auto-repair systems are beginning to be over-taxed. You're letting them hit you too much! Aile, that is your name right?"

Aile tried to reply but found herself violently coughing. Her eyes widened as she saw the blood splatter on the ground... her own. She brought her free hand to her mouth and realized that she was bleeding. It was also at this moment that she realized that her body was starting to hurt all over from the constant hits she was receiving.

"I have lent you my power. Use it, dispatch that last Galleon before it can inflict any more damage on you!"

Model X couldn't believe that he had to tell her that. She really had no battle experience and it was showing. He had the feeling things would be very complicated...

Aile and the Galleon pointed their Busters at each other and fired simultaneously. Both streams of bullets struck home, Aile recoiling as she cried out in pain, the level of adrenaline in her body no longer sufficient to mask the damage she was receiving. The Galleon, it, did not have any reaction. It simply fell over, the Buster shots having perforated it quite nicely.

As Aile regained her footing, her Buster returned to the shape of a hand and she quickly gripped her free arm, massaging it in a vain attempt to make the pain that was racking her body go away. Model X was by now displaying countless system failures in her vision, informing her of the various broken bones, shattered organs, and internal bleeding all inside her body as well as the gaping holes in her chest armor plate.

"I'm... I'm not feeling too good..." she whispered to herself, definitely feeling dizzy. Having absorbed over thirty direct impacts from military grade Buster cannons had taken a toll upon the girl.

Guess he'd have to explain it to her...

"Aile, search the bodies of the Galleons you just destroyed." he said inside of her mind.

She blinked a few times. Search their bodies, why?

"Most mechaniloids and other Reploids use special Ciel System crystals to power their systems. It is likely that some of them might have shards left on them. You can absorb them in your body to boost your auto-repair systems' performance and repair the damage to your body."

Although Model X reading her thoughts was starting to really grate on her, what it was saying was of a much greater interest to her.

"Grabbing Ciel System cell shards will heal me?"

"Yes. They look like green capsules with a red glow withing. Simply grab them and I'll do the rest."

This sounded immensely weird but if it made that pain in her body go away and stopped her bleeding, she would try it. As she approached one of the less damaged fallen Galleons, Aile found herself a bit disgusted. It was all creepy, having to search the body of a dead robot like this... but she did it anyway, bending down. Within the holes, she could see it, the crystal glowing within. Did she really have to do this? Well... it was only a Maverick, a soulless machine... she guessed.

She jammed her hand through the bullet hole, making a grimace as she felt her hand plunge into the gooey red liquid inside. The fact that it was an imitation of a living thing's guts didn't make it any more pleasant. She then pulled with all of her strength, pulling out a large capsule straight out.

She looked at the blood-soaked capsule, glowing red silently. It was incredible how durable those things were, she figured. She had blasted the thing with Buster shots and the capsule had been left intact...

Suddenly, the capsule closed and seemed to wrap around her frame. Her eyes widened as it seemed to spread over her body before disappearing, absorbed by her armor somehow. A second passed and her gaze clarified, her feeling of dizziness going away, the salty taste in her mouth stopping.

"See?" said Model X. "If you ever find yourself damaged when using my power, you can use red capsules to heal yourself. The Ciel System is a universal energy producing and storing system so do not worry about incompatibilities."

Aile smiled. She guessed that it all had an advantage... although now that she thought about it, it was something she'd rather avoid in the future. She shook her head a bit, trying to get the blood off it, looking around her... and noticing the Metool, still ducking under his helmet.

Hatred deformed her face for a moment, frustration now adding to her anger.

"You stupid Maverick piece of scrap metal!" she yelled, giving it a mighty kick!

As her foot slammed into the helmet, there was a loud metallic impact that echoed inside of her entire frame, making her shake a bit, her systems telling her that she had just crushed her toes in the process. Aile's eyes widened slowly, her mouth opening wide.

"GEEEEEYAAAAOOOOW!" she screamed, beginning to hop on one foot, holding on the one she had used to kick the Metool.

* * *

Inside of the command room, everyone was silent. Prairie was currently sitting in the command chair, eyes locked upon the main screen as it displayed Aile's progress. At first, there had been a mix of curiosity, excitement, and focus among the various Guardians as they waited to see a Chosen One in action. After all, Girouette's own antics were displayed on another set of screens and he was quite impressive to say the least, destroying Mavericks left and right with a level of speed and efficiency no other agent among the Guardians could hope to equal. So, most logically, Aile will prove just as impressive, right?

The Guardians stared at each other as the transporter girl engaged a small group of Mavericks. They talked for a bit and then, she transformed. Despite their professionalism, the various Guardians exchanged glances. That was also going to be the first test...

The girl began to fire Buster shots on the Metool, which just ducked and took it with no problem. That wasn't a surprise and they expected the girl to switch targets. Except... she didn't. The various Guardians flinched as the transporter got hit by a barrage of gunfire; this had to hurt.

Prairie s expression slowly begun to sink as the transporter kept firing at the Metool uselessly while the Galleons kept using her as target pratice, the girl so obsessed that she seemed not to notice that she was being shot at.

Prairie s face begun to turn pale as the battle continued. Was Sis truly putting all of her hope in people like this girl? This... this was...

After what seemed to be forever, the transporter finally managed to notice that she was being fired at and dispatched the Galleons, although not before soaking yet more Buster shots. Prairie had a brought a hand to her cheek, trying to keep herself from shaking her head in disbelief.

And then, the blue Mega Man did the worst, dumbest thing she could have done. She kicked the Metool and then hopped around, howling in pain, like in a scene right out of a cartoon.

But Prairie was not laughing. It was thoroughly humiliating. People had given their lives to protect the Chosen Ones, to make sure the Biometal would be safe... and now this? Prairie could barely keep herself from crying in shame and disappointment, a few tears trickling by her cheeks despite her best efforts. It was a total, sick joke.

She hid her face in her hands, hoping no one had seen that. The laughs of the various Guardians had been a roar of laughter when the Chosen One had kicked the Metool but the laughter had quickly turned sour as the awful realizations sunk in. Suddenly, the entire command room was filled with grim, awkward silence, only the constant noise of the computers audible.

"Well, at least she can take some damage?" said one Guardian, smiling awkwardly.

Prairie's finger hovered over the button on her console that would give out the order to abort the mission. Had the Biometal been an elaborate prank by Sis? What was that about? Could those two truly change the world?

Her hand shook for a moment and she looked to Aile, recovering from the pain and slowly getting a hold of herself.

"Ooow... hopefully, no one saw that." said the transporter before walking away, deciding to forget about that stupid Metool for the moment being.

Prairie continued to watch as Aile resumed on her mission. She slowly withdrew her hand from the console. Maybe... maybe that had only been a mishap. After all, even Giro could do mistakes at times. Maybe... it had only been a tiny mistake...

* * *

Aile was starting to feel that this whole thing was starting to really not be worth it. At first, she had been somewhat thrilled at how she had been able to finally shoot at those Mavericks. It had been gratifying, finally destroying those who had terrorized the country for so long and caused the raid that made her an orphan. But now that she had spent about a hour facing Mavericks that shot back at her, the thrill was definitely gone.

Was this what the Legion security forces faced every day? In a way, it was no wonder they produced Galleons instead of taking recruits among the civilian population, with actual unique soldiers being a rarity.

She was also starting to get sick of trying to get an intact control chip. She had found a few weird mechaniloids on the way, some kind of bell-shaped robots with a shield covering most of the front and with a hose, spraying the various compromised walls with water. She had quickly destroyed these, only to find out that once again, she had destroyed the control chips by mistake.

She seemed about to give up on finding a darn micro chip when she found a Metool in front of her, its helmet a few feet farther. The electronic brain was cut in two but looking closely, she noticed that the control chip was intact. She bent down and reluctantly plunged a hand within. She shivered as the gooey-like electronics covered her arm before extracting a large, gold computer chip out of the artificial brain.

Aile jumped, plunging a hand into her pocket to reach for the Biometal as her communicator came to life suddenly, startling her.

"A computer chip... It must be a part that fell off one of the Mavericks. If you bring it back to HQ, we can analyze it. It might give us the lead we need. If you find anything else, bring that back too."

Thankfully, it was only Prairie. Still, the teen sighed. She wasn't sure she'd get used to the idea of having that thing on her. And anyway, how did Prairie guess she found that computer chip? That made no sense...

After putting the computer chip in her pocket, she made it to the back of the base. It was a great clearing, like an airstrip with the markings on the ground showing that it was obviously meant for a large vehicle. For some reason, there was nothing there though. Still, Giro had to be here somewhere because that this was the far end of the base.

At this moment, a rumbling noise begun to rise, progressively becoming louder until the noise was so loud that she could barely hear her own thoughts. She also noticed it was getting darker somehow. It was then that she realized that this wasn't clouds covering the sun but rather, it was the shadow of a mechaniloid.

Looking upward, she saw the frame of the mechaniloid. It was absolutely massive and shaped like a ray, its metallic frame covered with the gaudy pink color scheme that the Slither Inc. seemed so fond of. She instantly recognized the vessel; it was a Rayfly, an automated cargo plane used for the transport of large quantities of equipment too heavy to be transported via transerver. Although it wasn't designed for combat, the fact that it was hovering there instead of beginning its landing sequence indicated that it was probably not there to deliver supplies.

Then, suddenly, the underside of the vehicle opened and she saw three massive cylinders drop down, crashing into the ground, making a deafening noise as they landed. She could recognize the massive objects with a huge red glass eye on the central cylinder. Those were heavy automated turrets!

She knew that those things packed a punch, could be deployed insanely quickly, and were extremely durable so the temptation to panic was high. Fortunately, she was getting used to the idea of having that Biometal with her and decided to call upon its power. As the light engulfed her, the Biometal's data strands covering her, she saw the cylinders open up, large gun batteries coming out.

As the light faded, the teen covered in blue armor, she pointed her Buster at the battery, gathering energy within. At this moment, a quick flash of her embarrassing encounter with the Metool caused her to pause for a moment. It was a good thing as it allowed her to notice the batteries firing. Remembering the strange boost of speed that she had felt before, she called upon the unknown systems in her body again, dashing out of the way. The batteries' cannons belched large, black cannonballs that exploded violently just where she had stood not long ago.

As she finished charging up, she remembered that assignment back when she had, with Giro and Vent, to ferry some of those turrets to Legion security forces in a base outside the city. Apparently, those heavy turrets were covered in a plating not unlike the one used for Metool helmets, making them highly resistant to most weaponry. However, she had been told be very careful when carrying the optical part, the one with the red eye. Because of the plating, the turrets needed one of their compartments to have an external optical sensor to it, one made of alloy that wasn't as resistant as the main plating. Furthermore, due to the nature of its systems, the optical compartment was highly explosive and destroying it also destroy the other parts of the turret.

It meant that she had to aim for the eye! She pointed her Buster at the central cylinder, the one with the eye on it, and unloaded her Buster's content before channelling the remaining energy into the other arm. It prove to be blatant overkill as the first fireball ploughed straight through the cylinder and emerged on the other side, the second shot passing through the gaping hole where the turret's systems used to be. A second later, the turret compartment malfunctioned, exploding violently and reducing the bottom cylinder to scrap. The one above was set on fire and sent flying upward like a fountain of debris.

But barely had she destroyed the turret that the Rayfly cargo plane had flew to another location, to the left of Aile, and repeated the process it had done earlier, releasing another set of turret compartments. Aile turned to face the deployed turret, following the noise, and begun to charge power in her Buster. The turret fired like the other one but once again, she found that her dashing systems were giving her the speed she needed to evade. She didn't know if her armor would withstand those cannonballs and she had no intention of finding out.

Unfortunately, she heard the crashing noise behind her indicating that the Rayfly, instead of waiting, had went on to place another turret while she was charging up.

"You got to be kidding me!" she said, upset as she turned to face the second turret, already aiming at her. "That's hardly fair!"

As the shots came flying toward her, she saw the first cannonball, coming from a lower angle, flying toward her and jumped over it. It flew past her and exploded behind her harmlessly. A more experienced soldier would have figured that the second cannonball, being fired from a high angle, was incorrectly aimed and would not hit Aile given she stood still. But Aile was not an experienced soldier and dashed to the side even though she didn't need to.

She then prepared herself, aiming at the turret... and immediately felt pain as her entire frame was slammed from behind, sending her face-first into the ground, her body engulfed by the explosion. She had ignored the first turret and it had cost her. Thankfully, the armor had absorbed most of the power and Model X quickly dispersed the heat wave, preventing her from catching on fire. Considering it was a mundane explosion and not the kind of incendiary attack that a proper elemental weapon would unleash, it wasn't an especially complex task to accomplish.

Despite the pain, Aile was quite aware that she was the target of two heavy turrets and that this stupid Rayfly would probably be releasing a third one. She sprung up on her feet, glancing at both turrets. She got a bad feeling for a moment, like an urge to be somewhere else, anywhere else than she currently was and dashed to the right, trying to put herself in such a position that she'd be able to see both turrets at the same time.

This proved to be a smart move as a second after she begun to move, the Rayfly released a third turret, the large cylinders landing right on the spot where she had been a bit earlier.

"Stupid thing!" she cursed, seeing the odds decrease in her favor by the second. "Dirty trick after dirty trick! Typical of Mavericks."

If only she could destroy those things faster! As it stood, for every one of these she destroyed, the Rayfly deployed two!

After that particular thought, Aile had the awkward feeling that she missing on a certain detail. As all three turrets opened fire on her, she reacted as fast as she could, jumping out of the way, directing all of the energy she had charged in her Buster toward the turret on the right. Again, eye-covered part was reduced to scrap instantly by the first shot and exploded, sending debris flying all over. Some of which splashed all over the Rayfly above, making it shake a bit for a moment.

It was then that she got an idea.

Once again, the Rayfly repeated its repetitive strategy, moving to a new spot and deploying yet more of its heavy turret parts. Again, Aile gathered power for her Buster, preparing to blow them up while she watched for the turrets' fire and kept moving as to not get hit again. But when her Buster was filled with energy, she decided to do things a bit differently. Instead of firing all of the energy into a single turret, she fired with her Buster at the turret the Rayfly had just placed and then spun to face the turret that had hit her earlier, discharging the remaining power in her other arm and punching toward it, sending the second shot hurtling toward it. Both turrets exploded very nicely, sending fiery shrapnel flying all over the place.

The Rayfly lurched as the turrets' debris hit it, making big dents into its wings, the underside armor, the cargo bay doors, and its stabilizers. The truth was that the Rayfly, despite its size, was not designed for combat and its armor wasn't designed to resist the kind of stress it was subjected to.

The teen felt her confidence rising as only one of the turrets remained, the Rayfly deploying one next to it just as she observed this fact. Oh well, she was now destroying them faster than the mechaniloid plane could deploy them.

Again, the heavy turrets fired at Aile, who once again used her dash systems to dodge out of the way. Heavy automated turrets were very lethal weapons but the truth was that their massive artillery cannons were designed to take out large armored targets from a greater distance; their targeting was just not precise enough to track a small fast-moving target like a Mega Man.

Likewise, the turrets were designed in such a way that their armor would protect them from heavy fire while the fragile optical sensor parts would be hidden behind cover. In the open like this, faced with a Mega Man wielding a heavy arm-mounted X-Buster class Buster weapon, the turrets were woefully inadequate and Aile effortlessly destroyed the two remaining turrets with her charged shots.

Again, the turrets burst into flaming debris, the remains slamming into the Rayfly, which was flying way too low to be safe from the shrapnel. As a cargo plane designed for simple civilian duties, its targeting wasn't sufficient to deploy the turrets from a greater height, putting it at risk from both anti-air fire and shrapnel from the turrets' destruction. Furthermore, its armor was just plain too thin and those last bits of debris tore into the right wing of the mechaniloid, making a huge gap in it and setting the circuitry inside on fire. The stabilizers struggled as the entire robotic plane was subjected to damage way beyond its tolerance.

Effectively, the Rayfly's crash was imminent, the plane already slowly beginning to lose altitude, circuitry within exploding already.

* * *

Girouette had heard the sounds of a battle taking place behind him but frankly, he couldn't care less. He had scaled the wall at the limits of the Slither Inc. base airstrip and was now investigating a compound just outside. A bunch of Galleons had tried to halt him but a quick Z-Saber swordplay had quickly put an end to their resistance.

It was then that his communicator came to life.

"Giro! Giro, please come in!" it was Prairie. Although her calls didn't have top priority like Ciel, they were still at a high priority and he answered quickly.

"This is Giro. What is your command?"

"Aile has engaged a huge Rayfly mechaniloid in the base where you're located! Please, help her!"

Giro's eyes widened for a second. What was Aile doing in the middle of a battlefield? Why hadn't she got to safety? Ciel had told him to resume his mission and not to intervene so he had assumed that they were safe so why had this happened? Still, there was no time for questions. Ciel's orders were clear. Protection of the Chosen Ones took priority on everything else and although Ciel had told him to resume his mission, he guessed that his orders to protect Aile and Vent had not been cancelled. So... he would obey Prairie's command and lend assistance.

"I'll lend a hand."

He ended the transmission quickly and turned his back to the compound, not caring about the few last Mavericks he hadn't killed yet. They were a low priority target now especially that none of them had sufficient tracking capability to land a hit on him given that he moved at full speed.

The blonde-haired Mega Man dashed as fast as he could, using his emergency acceleration systems to send himself toward the target zone as fast as he could. Prairie's command had been vague but the explosions and gunfire noise made it easy for him to guess where the enemy was.

Giro calculated the time as he dashed. He had progressed quite far and it was taking him a while to get there. Considering that Aile had no weapons and was an unaugmented Humanoid, her chances of survival in the face of an enemy were low. For a moment, he wondered how much of a threat level a Rayfly plane could be. Last he knew, those mechaniloids were soft, slow civilian machines with no built-in weapons. Still, Prairie had said that she had engaged one and according to Ciel, Prairie was relatively trustworthy, clearance level two more exactly.

As he made it to the wall, he quickly jumped into it and kicked into it, quickly scaling it. Once on top, he looked forward to see the airstrip. As Prairie had told him, there was indeed a Rayfly mechaniloid. Its systems were obviously failing, its entire frame showing clear signs of heavy battle damage. He could also see a strange blue Mega Man. This made no sense as only Aile and Vent were suitable biomatches for Model X and unless they had failed, Model X would still be in their hands or the Guardians'. Considering Prairie's call for help, they had obviously not failed else, they'd be dead.

The situation was clearly confusing but Giro had not been programmed to question orders so he assumed that this blue Mega Man must be somehow Aile.

The mechaniloid was clearly about to crash, exploding all over. It was obvious that rescuing Aile was not needed but Prairie had ordered him to rescue her and Ciel had ordered him to protect her and Vent so he guessed that he had to do it anyway. So he did.

Charging all of his power into the Z-Saber, Giro jumped and then unleashed all of his power on the way down, plunging the blade of the sword into the dying mechaniloid. The violent impact was blatantly too much for the poor Rayfly, which couldn't even maintain its altitude anymore, and the mechaniloid plane was sent flying, looking for a moment like a giant flying pink barrel, before slamming straight into the nearest hangar. The plane now grounded and damaged beyond repair, Giro judged that it was now out of commission meaning that his mission was now accomplished.

"So this is the Chosen One for Model X?" said Model Z inside of Giro's mind.

It had been a security measure. In case Girouette would be killed in action or have his Biometal somehow stolen, Ciel had decided to input knowledge of the Chosen Ones' identity inside of the blonde haired Reploid only, leaving Model Z in the dark. Well, it seemed that this had been revealed to it. And now that he looked at Aile, he could clearly see the traits. Most people might have trouble recognizing a transformed person but Girouette was himself designed to be compatible with Biometals and as such, could easily notice the traits of the original person underneath the fusion.

Guess that meant that his mission to keep the Biometal a secret from the two was now a failure and by extension, so was the mission to keep them from learning that he was anything but a normal Reploid. Thus, it was okay to reply to Model Z's comment aloud.

"Yes, she's very special to me."

He glanced around briefly. Apart from a very startled Aile, it seemed that the entire area was silent. Not surprising considering he had cleaned it a moment earlier. Since he guessed Aile would be more comfortable if he assumed the form she knew him as, Girouette quickly separated from Model Z.

For a moment, Girouette just stood there. Although he seemed confident, he wasn't anymore sure than Aile of what to think or say of the situation. Still, since the mission was a failure, he guessed it was no use keeping secrets anymore.

"Aile, it looks like you've been chosen by the Biometal too."

When he thought about it, it was kind of stating the obvious but he figured that it didn't matter. At least, seeing him talk in the form she knew did allow her to calm down. She quickly transformed back into her normal form, confirming that she was indeed Aile, and stepped forward.

"Giro! Just what is Biometal? I don't understand what's going on!"

Giro glanced at the form of Model Z, floating by his side. She wasn't cleared for the whole truth, not until he contacted Ciel and got an update on his mission regarding the Chosen Ones. Still, he guessed he was allowed to reveal a few things right now. After all, keeping secrets is kind of useless now.

"This is my partner, Biometal Model Z." he said, gesturing to Model Z. "I'm sorry I kept this a secret from you, but I'm a member of the Guardians. You and me are both Chosen Ones. We can transform with the power of the Biometal. I was given an order to protect you from the people who are after the power inside you."

Aile blinked a few times, as if she didn t understand the information he gave her. This confused him as he thought he had been clear.

"I'm a Chosen One?" she repeated.

Guess he'll take a different approach. And while he's at it, he guessed it's okay to proceed with the mission objectives ahead of schedule.

"I didn't want to hide it from you. I was planning on telling you everything once we safely delivered the Biometal." It was a blatant lie but it would probably help her take it in. Time to proceed. "Aile. Will you join me and the other Guardians? The Biometal is the key to understanding why the Maverick outbreaks are occurring."

This was another blatant lie, Girouette, like Zero and mistress Ciel, knew perfectly what caused them. It was because of the Biometal Model W. Still, it was a pretty decent lie he just made up... he hope.

"This is all so much for me to take in. I just don't know Giro..."

How is he supposed to act, considering that last reaction? And what of Vent? Do he knows? Should he be told if he doesn't? Did Ciel know? There were too many unknowns and he hated this.

"I don't want to force you to do anything against your will. It's your decision. I'm going to use the transerver and go back to Guardian HQ. I'll be waiting there for your decision. Please don't take too long."

As he walked past Aile, heading out of the base the same way he came in, he couldn't help but sigh in relief once he came out of sight of her. That had been a most stressful encounter and one that will probably cause complications. Fortunately, Ciel will clear everything up and set new mission objectives for him once he contacted her at Guardian HQ.

Aile watched Giro walk away in silence. Once he was out of sight and out of hearing range, she shook her head, unsure what to do. She barely noticed it as her communicator came to life.

"It sounds like you managed to meet up with Giro. That's a relief. Oh, be sure to file a mission report once you get back to any transerver. This will act as a confirmation to HQ that the mission has been completed."

The teen didn't say anything, not even noticing that Prairie had called her. She was too busy with her own thoughts and the implications that this last meeting had...

"Was Giro with me all those years just because he was ordered to protect the Chosen One? I feel so confused..."

She looked at the horizon for a moment, not sure if she really wanted to know the truth. Then, she finally remembered that Vent was out there, too. In fact... how was he doing? She hoped that he had done better than her, with his own mission.

* * *

Giga Aspis was totally silent as he looked at the screens from his own command room. Not one building outside his bunker was intact, most of his employees were dead, most of them reduced to nothing but splatters of blood and burning heaps of metal all over the place, Legion agents had been killed on his property, and the plan upon which he had put all of his hope had failed miserably, his expensive Rayfly cargo plane now nothing but a burning wreckage stuck in the eastern wall of the base's hangar.

All around him, his fellow employees were staring at the display in complete silence...

"Sir, without a Rayfly mechaniloid plane, we will not be able to get supplies and new personnel to the base for repairs and maintenance. Rayfly mechaniloids are not cheap and neither were the automated turrets it carried. The losses in personel and equipment from the Mega Men's attacks are also massive. I am afraid that our funds will not be sufficient to fix all of this. Shall I petition the central administration for an increase in funding?"

Giga Aspis as well as every single Slither Inc. employee in the room turned to stare at the accountant. The civilian model Reploid's face turned bright red and he quickly stared down.

The snake Pseudoroid stuck his fittingly snake-like tongue out, analyzing the condition of the air inside of his bunker, trying to overload his electronic brain with useless information in an effort to muster the strength necessary not to lose his composure and cry. Considering the scale of this disaster, if he lost it, what's left of his personel's morale might reach a negative value.

Still, he had put all of his hopes in that scheme, hoping to cover his mistake with the Mavericks by showing everyone that he could do something right for once. But now, not only did he not have any Biometal but he had got almost all of his personel, including many unique, non mass-produced Reploids that had once been his friends, killed. And with Legion agents having been killed on his property, Legion would now open an official investigation on Slither Inc., staining the entire organization's reputation. And all of it... was his fault.

"I'm... I'm... I'm so going to be fired." he whispered to himself.

There was no hope, no way he can keep his job. He'll be lucky if Serpent doesn't personally kick him out of the Slither Inc. building, physically, while screaming at him.

"So... what are we going to do boss?" there was a note of despair in the voice of the Galleon who asked him that. Giga Aspis couldn't help but notice that the same despair and shame was on every face.

"I... I will report to headquarters."

He cannot hide a disaster like this, he just can't. For a moment, Giga Aspis considered pinning the blame on one of his employees but it was a stupid thing to try and besides, this was his base. The responsibility was his.

Using the tip of his tail as a makeshift hand, he connected the computer's interface to his systems and contacted headquarters to report, bracing himself for the worst.

For a brief moment, he wondered what kind of job opportunities a giant snake-shaped Pseudoroid could hope for...

* * *

The way to Innerpeace wasn't very long from the transerver room and besides, Vent had taken this path quite a few times in the past while doing various assignments. The city was a most welcome sight after the chaos he had faced outside, what not with the Mavericks and the whole Biometal business. In a way, he was a bit upset that Aile got to search for the boss while he was going to have to pass some sort of test but then, he guessed that it was best for Aile to do that.

The boss was a father figure to the both of them but while he had taken a distance from him, deciding to take his professional ties with him more seriously, Aile still saw him the same way as before. In a way, it was maybe a bit immature of her but then, he guessed it was her choice. She could be weird at times.

It didn't take long for him to find some kind of tall person wearing a silly green suit and wearing a gaudy pink visor. As this was the same outfit as the other Guardians had worn, he guessed that this must be the person he needed to talk to.

He didn't need to say a word. As he approached the person, he simply turned to him.

"You're going to undertake the trial for permission to enter HQ right?"

Vent nodded. "Yes, I am."

The Guardian smirked in a weird way. This made Vent a bit suspicious but really, he didn't care. He guessed that the trial would probably be some kind of test, filling forms, or maybe a scan of his specifications to determine if he was fit for the job.

"There are four Guardians hidden like me throughout town. If you can find all of us, you pass the test. Let the trial begin! Good luck!"

For a moment, the teen was convinced that this was some kind of joke, especially considering the sarcastic tone the Guardian had. He crossed his arms, seriously expecting the Guardian to tell him he was kidding and then tell him the real instructions. As an awkward silence set in, Vent got the weird feeling that he was not going to like this at all.

"Err... good luck!" repeated the Guardian, more seriously and a bit embarrassed.

That was it, really? Some dumb game of hide and seek in Innerpeace? Vent was tempted to point out that Innerpeace is a seriously huge city and that he had no idea where to look but then, he wasn't the one who had made up that test. Guess all he got to do is find weird people in green suits with silly pink visors. Well at least it shouldn't prove too hard...

As Vent begun to make his way downtown, he couldn't help but notice that apart from the usual crowds of people and the cars that zoomed about, there were also weird bouncy robot things wandering about. Those were simple defense drones, small turrets mounted on pogo-sticks with a single green eye. Vent also knew that they were Slither Inc. patrols and his gaze hardened.

Who was Serpent kidding with his fancy patrols? His security forces had been late ten years ago, leaving his mom to die. And now, while he had been attacked by that freaky snake Maverick and its cohorts, the Slither Inc. security forces were bouncing about aimlessly, watching over a random street no one cares about. For all he care, they might as well not patrol anywhere considering how useless and incompetent they were, letting Mavericks rampage freely like that.

Walking by, he couldn't help but notice something weird. There was a large apartment building to his right, all of white metal like pretty much everything else in the city. But what was drawing his attention was that the access point to the ground level hangar of the building was sealed off. Those are never sealed up usually.

He approached the large door and putting one hand on it, he was surprised as it automatically opened. What was that about?

Inside, he found some kind of woman, a Guardian by the looks of it, in the back of the hangar. She was fiddling with some kind of micro-computer, obviously annoyed but as the teen approached, she glanced at him, smiled, and put the computer into a pocket of her outfit.

"Hoho! I should ve known I'd get spotted in this hiding place. You aren't gonna catch my comrades so easily though." she said, wagging her finger at him and speaking to him as if he was some kind of kid. He instantly hated her. "They're in places that require more than just strolling on in. Look around different places, you never know what you might find. I'm heading back to HQ. Good luck with the rest of the trial!"

"Hey! Could you at least tell me how many of you I need to fi-" Vent barely finished his question that the Guardian teleported away, having not listened to what he had said.

Rolling his eyes, Vent made his way outside again. What had he got himself into?

He continued to walk, looking around as he did. Being a transporter, he had to travel quite a bit and in a way, it always amazed him how clean and neatly ordered Innerpeace was compared to cities outside. Or well, at least, this part of the city was. It was all white, the roads, buildings, and walkways all of clean, smooth white metal. It was all very neat and there were trees and bushes put everywhere, both helping the place feels more natural while enforcing the order. Innerpeace was one of the most ecologically friendly cities in the world apparently, with lots of parks and trees and what not. In fact, this was why Slither Inc. had chosen to give their headquarters the shape of a giant flower.

Even from here, the humongous structure could be seen. He stopped to look at it for a moment.

It was a massive tower, taller than any other building and easily dwarfing even the other skyscrapers. The six gigantic blades connected to its top floors made it look like an oversized flower, the larger base enforcing this feeling. The whole building was yellow in color, the top floors and blades taking on a pink color. Supposedly, the point was that the building was to look like a giant flower, fitting with Innerpeace and its ecological stance but to Vent, the building was just an ugly, oversized showcase of Serpent's ego.

The teen sighed and focused back on the task at hand. It was then that he passed by another building and once again noticed the weird, suspicious door. Again, it opened on its own as he approached it and looking inside, he couldn't help but notice how empty it was, like last time. Only, this time, instead of having the Guardian right in his line of sight, he noticed a gigantic box that reached all the way to the ceiling.

The whole thing was suspicious and approaching it, he noticed it was put on some support machinery. The gap was much larger than needed and was suspicious by its sheer size, more than big enough for him to crawl through easily. To him, this was more than mere transporter laziness, especially considering the box's sheer size.

As he ducked and looked underneath the box, he saw a pair of boots that confirmed what he thought. Still, that was ridiculous. Why was this box placed here? Who would hide in such a place?

Still, the box was conveniently large enough to block the entire passage, both horizontally and vertically, so the only way through was by crawling through. So Vent got on his stomach and quickly began to crawl his way through, feeling perfectly silly in the process. He wondered why the Guardians thought of it as a trial. In fact, how is this qualifying as a mission, again?

Emerging on the other side of the box, he saw that the Guardian was fiddling with a computer not unlike the first one had been. This one too was annoyed and frustrated somehow. Vent had the feeling he was missing a detail. And again, like last time, the Guardian's expression softened upon seeing him for some reason.

"Oh, looks like you found me! You should be careful of the security patrols. As long as they're giving you the green light, you're safe from attack. But if you're caught with a weapon they will open fire, no questions asked!"

Vent rolled his eyes. Why was he being told this? This was blatantly stating the obvious! Of course, if you go Maverick and starting firing a weapon in the city you're expected to be shot at! That's common sense! But now that he thought about it... why telling him that, more exactly? Do they think that if he got a weapon he'll start shooting people randomly?

"Anyway, I'm heading back to HQ. Good luck with the trial!"

Vent stepped forward, noticing the Guardian about to teleport. "Hey! Wait! How many Guardians am I supposed to-"

Again, he was ignored and the Guardian teleported away. Finding himself in an empty room, the teen was beginning to feel like he was being mocked. First of all, those two hiding places had been very stupid. Second of all, what was the purpose of this trial? How was it testing his abilities? Finally, looking back at the box, he realized that the only way out was by crawling underneath the thing again.

As Vent crawled underneath the box, he couldn't help but find himself wishing he could teleport. This way, he wouldn't have to crawl under stupid boxes like this!

As he made it out of that hangar, he brushed his clothes a bit with his hands, still a bit peeved about what he had been forced to do. He continued on his way, wondering if the next Guardian would be, most unsurprisingly, hiding in yet another abandoned hangar with a suspicious door that isn't meant to be there.

This also made Vent wonder for a moment why no one was checking those doors out. But then, Slither Inc. security agents are incompetent and he knew it was definitely their style to ignore the blatantly obvious like this. After all, it took them a bloody long time to respond to that accident, ten years ago.

As he continued on his way, he thought briefly of Aile and wondered how she was doing. And also, what was the Biometal, more exactly? He knew that it had somehow established a 'biolink' with him and her, whatever that meant, and had somehow merged with her, covering her in blue armor and giving her the most powerful Buster he had ever seen outside of TV reports and documentaries. Why did the Guardians want that thing? Why would people be after that thing? Did boss know about it?

His thoughts were interrupted as he passed by yet another of those weird doors. Vent was beginning to think that the trial wasn't really one. After all, it wasn't as if those doors weren't making obvious where each Guardian was hiding. He just hoped he wouldn't have to find many more of those Guardians.

Considering the giant box in the last room, Vent half expected an obstacle course when he opened the door but what he found left him unsure what to say or think for a good while.

The Guardian was there, alright but he was sitting in the corner of the hangar, in a foetal position, shaking. There was a pair of Metools, Slither Inc. employees judging by their 20st century military helmets and the emblems on said helmets, currently investigating a nearby wall.

Vent hated the Slither Inc. but he hated their Metools more than anything else. He just despised them and he couldn't help it. The Slither Inc. often used Metools as their primary 'thinking' drone agents in the city instead of Galleons for the simple and very logical reason that most people found Metools somehow endearing. Vent couldn't understand why anyone would find Metools anything but grotesque. They were basically a walking helmet with two goggly eyes, two clown-like feet, and a shotgun cannon instead of a mouth. Not really his definition of endearing. Not that he liked the Galleons anymore, mind you. Just more souless mass-produced Pseudoroid junk, if someone ask him.

One of the two Metools glanced away from the wall and noticed the teen standing in the hangar. Cursing itself for failing to notice him walking in, the small robot still figured that this civilian could help them. He slowly made his way toward the Humanoid and adjusted its helmet.

"Hmmm... hi citizen! Could you lend us a hand?" he said before glancing toward the Guardian in the back, making his best equivalent of a hand gesture. "We are currently investigating a crime scene but this Guardian over there won't leave and refuse to speak with us. Could you tell it to be on its way if it doesn't have any business here?"

The Metool glanced back to the boy and couldn't help but wonder why the civilian was staring at him with such a hostile look on his face. The Metool couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. Civilians and their paranoia of armed people... It was truly disturbing how quick they are to judge people nowadays. If you're not a squishy hairless ape with no strings attached, you're automatically suspicious. Okay, so the countryside is filled with Mavericks but the Metool kind of expected civilians to be a bit more grateful for Slither Inc.'s protection. Praise on the news, glare and hate on the streets. Well, could be worse he figured. Legion didn't hire Metools at all after all.

Vent was tempted to say something snarky at the piece of scrap with a helmet but decided that he had better things to do than interrupt its 'investigation'. Yeah right, Slither Inc. security forces wouldn't be able to catch a Maverick if it presented itself at the door of their headquarters while carrying a giant neon sign with 'I AM A MAVERICK' written on it in capital letters.

The transporter walked past the Metools and stared down at the Guardian, shaking like crazy. To Vent, he had all the professionalism of a terrified child and considering the weirdoes he had encountered so far, he was beginning to wonder if those Guardians guys were kind of an elaborate joke. If two Metools scared these guys, what could they possibly do if they ran into a real Maverick force?

He rolled his eyes and decided to brush aside his worries for now. He bent down a bit and tapped on the Guardian's shoulder. He kind of sprung up like a wind-up toy.

"Yikes!"

Vent was really not sure why the Guardian panicked like that but at least, he seemed to calm down after a short while.

"Oh! You finally found me."

Oh no, not this again! Vent decided to take the initiative and ask questions before he'd teleport away.

"Yeah, yeah. By the way, why were you hiding like this?"

The Guardian suddenly frowned and became thankful that his visor and outfit hid his face turning red from the embarrassment.

"Well... I was afraid of running into the security forces and getting hurt. That's why I've been hiding here." he then sighed in relief before continuing. "I thought they would find me for sure, you know. Now I can finally head back to HQ and get out of this nasty place."

Vent was about to ask him why he thought the Slither Inc. employees would hurt him, especially considering that they had made it sound earlier like they were a legal security force as well as tell him that the Slither Inc. employees already knew he was there anyway but then, like the others, the weirdo teleported away before Vent could pronounce even one word.

Was this some kind of joke? If so, it wasn't funny. Vent walked out of the hangar, the Metools saying something to him as he left. He didn't care and didn't listen. What he did know that it this annoying, pointless hide and seek was starting to take forever. Was Aile done yet? Where is the boss?

Continuing his way downtown, Vent walked through the main plaza of the city and stopped for a moment. The place was a large clearing in the urban setting, a massive ancient-styled fountain in the middle of it, old 21st century-style benches surrounding the area near the fountain. Sitting on a bench nearby, he couldn't help but notice that the number of bouncy weird Slither Inc. drones patrolling the place was unusually high. Why were they patrolling the area like this? Had they heard about the Maverick attack or something? And what were those two Metools investigating anyway?

This also made him think. The Guardians were some kind of security force or something, right? Then why did they have mostly people as their agents? All of their agents had been Reploids so far, he could guess it from the fact that they were people and had the mandatory triangular red marking on their foreheads. It was one of the laws enforced by Legion. All Reploids had a triangular red marking to differentiate them from humans and Humanoids. It came with one's registration in the Legion databases alongside with the activation of the mortality protocol.

Why would all those Reploids risk their lives like this when grunt work in security forces was usually performed by mass-produced, soulless Pseudoroids? Being blatantly inhuman, Pseudoroids were soulless, unlike Reploids. In fact, many of them, such as the Galleons, were even mass produced the old way, in factories. Why would Reploids risk their lives when drones could be used?

On another hand, Vent already knew the answer very well and it was the same reason he had went along when Aile had helped Prairie. If he just stood by and let things happen by themselves, he would regret it all his life. He knew all too well that if he just stood by and expected others, like Serpent and his incompetent minions, to fix things, it just wasn't going to happen. In a flash of hindsight, he gained a bit of respect for those Guardians guys... although really, he still thought that those people he ran into stunk of unprofessionalism. If the boss saw him work like those guys, he would have recycled him through basic training so fast that his head would still be spinning.

Figuring that his break was completed, Vent got up and continued his journey through Innerpeace. Beyond the main plaza, he noticed he was getting closer to the main highway. Apart from small cars for local transportation, highways between cities or even between sectors had been rendered obsolete thanks to transervers. Transport of supplies and other objects too large to be put in transervers was now ferried via the use of mass produced cargo plane mechaniloids. And for what the mechaniloids couldn't do, there were always transporters. Still, a few large-sized highways still existed and apparently, a lot of people still used them.

Walking around, he noticed that this part of the city had a lot less buildings and a lot more cars lying around. Must be a sector of the city filled with people who liked that old technology. It reminded him briefly of how he, Aile, and the boss used motorbikes to get around. Now that he thought about it, why did the boss insist on using those?

As he got deeper in the sector, Vent couldn't help but notice the lack of a suspicious hangar with a suspicious door. Despite how dumb that trial was, Vent found himself wishing that the next Guardian or Guardians, if that's the case, wouldn't be hidden better. Frankly, he had been walking for at least an hour and it was starting to grate on his nerves.

He stopped, leaning against an old abandoned apartment building's wall. What kind of hint was he looking for? Those other Guardians had their silly suspicious doors, how would he know if there was a Guardian in this zone, if any? It would have helped if he had been given sufficient information but mostly, he had been told to go and each Guardian had left as soon as he had found them. Likewise, what was it with them fiddling with micro-computers and why were they all annoyed? Something was bothering them and he wasn't sure what.

It was then that he wondered about something. Every building in this zone was new but this one in particular was ruined quite a bit. Not unstable and someone would probably repair it or something but still...

A suspicion entered his mind and he ducked, looking through a large hole at the base of the wall. He rolled his eyes and sighed, noticing the boots of a Guardian. They really wanted him to crawl through holes, didn't they?

He looked around, making sure no one would see that, before crawling through the opening. Emerging on the other side, he found himself under the basement of the building. Normally, since this was a place no one was meant to go, he would have expected it to be dark with maybe animals around and the floor being made of dirt but he was surprised to find the insides being a well-lit makeshift hideout of sorts. Now that he was seeing him fully, that new Guardian was a lot bigger than the others and seemed a bit more intimidating. Like the first two, he had a micro-computer in hand but unlike the first two, seemed confused, scratching his head.

"I can't believe Prairie want us to fi-" he muttered to himself before glancing toward Vent, noticing him. He blinked a few times and then, smiled widely.

He approached the teen, Vent suddenly finding that this new weirdo was a lot bigger up close. Somehow, Vent's look on his face amused the Guardian.

"Grahaha! Great job findin' me boy! I wish we had more of your kind in the Guardians."

Vent raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Really?"

The Guardian nodded. "Yep. Too many greenhorn recruits in the organization, if ya ask me. I know ya have work to do, bein' a transporter an' all. So I'll be headin' back. See ya later boy!"

The Guardian saluted him and quickly teleported before Vent could say anything else. He was about to comment aloud about how annoying this was all becoming when a feminine voice came out of seemingly nowhere, badly starting him.

"It looks like you found them all. Head to area at the coordinates I'm sending you at the moment and get the certification for passing the test. That will conclude your trial."

"What the-" went Vent. "Prairie?"

He then looked at his wrist. His eyes widened as he saw a communicator on it. That wasn't there before.

"What is it, Vent? Is there a problem?"

"Since when do I have a communicator?" he asked. Somehow, he had a communicator and somehow, he was in contact with Prairie. This was crazy! Since when did he have one to begin with?

"Well... it appears that the Biometal gave one to both you and your friend back at the forest."

Vent blinked a few times. So, if he understood well, that Model X thing had been able to merge only with Aile but somehow had been able to give both of them communicators? Kind of a stretch, if someone asked him. Still, the fact that Aile had been transformed and that he had a communicator on his wrist kinda made it difficult to deny. Didn't change the fact that he suddenly felt ripped off, wondering why Model X hadn't given both of them an armor.

"Anyway as I said, you will be able to get your certification at the next area."

The transmission ended, leaving Vent quite confused about the situation. This was growing crazier by the minute. Oh well, at least that stupid mission was now completed. Vent crawled back out of the building through the same hole he used to get in, hoping not to have to do that again. He had his share of crawling into places for a good while, that was for sure!

The walk to the target area was thankfully short, on a street near where he had found the last Guardian. Still, once again, Vent found himself confused. This part of the city was the commercial one and more exactly, looking around, he saw that all the nearby stores were selling toys and various games. Why would he need to get there?

It was then that he saw a Guardian, the same one who had given him the mission description, near a stuffed animal store. He had the same annoyed expression as all the others but instead of a micro-computer, he was carrying a stuffed animal. Unlike the others, his expression did not soften when he saw Vent approach him.

"It's you again. Well, you passed the test. Here, take this."

He put the stuffed animal in Vent's hands, making him one very confused transporter. He looked at the Guardian, wondering if he wanted him to carry it while he searched for the certification... but as it became obvious he was done, the realization sunk in and Vent's eyes widened.

"A... stuffed animal? Th-this is my certification!"

"And you better take care of it!" spat the Guardian, interrupting him mid-complaint. "It's one of Prairie's most prized possessions. Anyway, this concludes your trial. There s a transerver nearby. Don't forget to file a mission report!"

As the Guardian walked, obviously glad to be done with it, Vent stood there for a moment, not sure what to think. He had the feeling that the universe had just played a big prank on him.

* * *

In an area far from Innerpeace, hidden from all, Ciel was staring at the display on the screen. The small bunker from which she had overseen Zero's mission was a spectacle far removed from the extremely elaborate command room back in the Resistance bases from the past and was more akin to the spartan equipment she had back during the last days of the Resistance, in the trailer. Still, this bunker was a temporary HQ. Both for safety purposes and due to investigating the Model W-related activities around the whole world, she and Zero constantly changed the place from which they operated.

The transerver alarm echoed for a few seconds and quickly enough, Zero materialized in the middle of the room. As he noticed his surroundings and saw Ciel's warm smile, he quickly broke his fighting stance, relaxing.

"Welcome back, Zero."

The red Reploid smiled before stepping off the transerver pad and picking up a nearby chair. He dragged it near Ciel's and sat down, looking at the main screen. On it were displayed the progress of both Giro and the Guardians. They both watched in silence for a moment. Although Ciel seemed optimistic and happy as usual, Zero couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. Aile and Vent weren't ready. This shouldn't have happened.

"Ciel, I..."

"I watched the whole thing. Don't blame yourself." she glanced at him, her smile warm and kind. "Besides, considering how some of our past situations degenerated, I think that things have went well. It's unfortunate but I know you did your best."

Ciel was right but still, it didn't keep Zero from feeling frustrated. Although it was kind of obvious that he couldn't do everything, it was still frustrating when things didn't go his way. But then, he guessed that it was right. Things could have indeed gone worse than this.

And instantly, both Ciel and Zero cursed themselves for tempting fate as Giro dashed toward the Slither Inc. base to attack it.

"What is he doing?" Zero almost shouted, springing up from his chair.

"I can't tell him to abort, Prairie is on the line and will hear us!" said Ciel in a plaintive, panicked way. "Why isn't she telling him to back down?"

Zero slowly sat down and slumped into his chair, facepalming as his copy proceeded to gut a Slither Inc. base on the display screen. That... was going to cause complications. But then, as if things couldn't get worse, they saw Aile get on the scene. Both were speechless as Aile joined the disaster, fighting her way through Slither Inc. forces. Not only that but she also spent all of her time not transformed when she wasn't fighting, meaning that the Slither Inc. now had plenty of visual records on who had attacked them.

But while Zero watched that debacle, Ciel turned to the other displays, wondering why Prairie wasn't stopping this... and then, her face turned a color not unlike Zero's armor as she saw Vent's mission.

"Oh no... She didn't!"

Zero's attention instantly turned to the woman next to him. Ciel being angry was not common at all, especially not her getting angry enough for her face to turn a funny color like this.

Ciel brought her chair closer to the keyboard and tapped a key, trying to contact Prairie. After a few seconds, she tapped the key again. Then, seeing no response, began hammering on it angrily.

"What's going on?" asked Zero.

"She's using Vent to fetch herself a new stuffed animal for her collection! And preventing us from contacting Giro in the process! What is she thinking? Doesn't she realize that Aile's and Giro's safety are more important?"

For the second time, the crimson Reploid felt like facepalming. They really, really, REALLY should stop tempting fate. Every single time they did it, it exploded in their faces. He got this weird feeling that the debriefing will be extremely unpleasant and take forever to go through.

Zero wondered for a moment why he bothered getting up this morning.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	5. ZX, Awakening Highway Reloaded

**OFF:** Hmmm... no reviews this time? Well, I'll take the time to make a few notes on the story then.

As people might have noticed, I try to follow canon in a broad sense but also modify a few traits to enhance the storyline (such as giving some explanations to some of the game's events and giving extra personality to the villains).

One of the bigger changes is in the characters of Girouette, Aile, and Vent. Namely, Since Giro's role in ZX was to be ^retty much a 'Zero lite', I tried to make him different from Zero without mangling him. Likewise, I am not making Aile and Vent stupid ; their mistakes in the 'Rookies' chapter come from their inexperience when put in a battle situation and as the story will progress, they will eventually grow into the heroes they are meant to be.

Hope you will enjoy the next chapter.

* * *

**Megaman ZX**

Awakening Highway Reloaded

* * *

Girouette arrived first and as he did, Prairie, Fleuve, and a few of the other Guardians decided to gather in the transerver room, waiting for the two Chosen Ones. Despite how things had gone, Prairie had managed to get a hold of herself, especially after seeing how Aile dealt with the Rayfly and how Vent had found the hidden Guardians so easily. There was also another reason why she wanted to greet them personally; Vent would be bringing it...

Her eyes lit up as the transerver suddenly came to life, the two teens she had met back in the forest materializing one after another. The two looked around as they appeared, their gaze locking upon a nearby window. More exactly, locking upon what was beyond it.

"This is Guardian HQ? I certainly wasn't expecting an airship." said Aile, summarizing both teens' thoughts.

"The Guardians have to explore the world, so we need a convenient method of staying mobile." explained Prairie, smiling. Area X wasn't just any airship either, it was a mobile assault carrier, a creation of her Sis. It was a marvel of technology on-par with the best that Legion could deploy.

She walked closer to them. "I'm glad you both are okay."

She meant those words, especially regarding Aile. The issue had been close quite a few times back at the Slither Inc. base.

Now that they were there, Aile and Vent figured that they might as well give Prairie what she had asked them to get. Aile went first, taking out the computer chip she found and handing it to her.

"Hey Prairie, I found a computer chip while I was out there. Here, you should have it."

Once Prairie grabbed the computer chip, Vent stepped forward as well.

"As for the certification that we passed the trial. This is it... tight?" he said, taking out the stuffed animal.

Prairie's smile widened, carefully grabbing the animal. She held it carefully, almost hugging it. Vent looked around and wondered why no one beside himself and Aile were finding this weird.

"Yes, that was a gift from Sis. It holds a lot of memories for me. Thank you for bringing it back."

Girouette didn't seem pleased though. The two teens turned at their boss, wondering why he was frowning so deeply. It was then that he exploded.

"Vent! Aile! You can't just call her by her first name! Got it?"

Giro turned away, shaking his head in dismay, muttering something under his breath about kids and respect. The two didn't really get it and weren't sure they wanted to. Besides, why was he insisting on that? In fact, during the missions, Prairie had been the one talking to them via those communicators and apparently, everyone among the Guardians seemed to really respect and care for her for some reason. Prairie didn't seem upset at the situation though.

"Don't worry about it Giro." she then turned to the two. "I want to apologize for the grave danger I put all of you in. Let's meet at the command center and I will explain everything there. It's out of this room and to the left."

Prairie waved the two goodbye and walked out of the room. Giro rolled his eyes and sighed before following as well. And then, the entire crowd left, leaving the two alone.

The two teens couldn't help but stare at each others.

"Any idea what that was about?" said Vent.

"Beats me. I guess we'll continue to play along." replied his partner, shrugging.

Walking out of the transerver room, the both of them emerged in the main hall of the airship. In a way, Prairie telling them where the command center was had been superfluous since the names of every room was written on each door. As for the airship itself... the two transporters' feelings were mixed. On one hand, it was very advanced, well-maintained, and absolutely immense. On another hand, the walls, ceiling, and floor were all painted with a pink and grey color scheme that looked quite ugly to say the least. Still, guess it was best not to mention this as long as they would be aboard the ship.

Getting through the door, both Vent and Aile stopped for a moment. In front of them was the largest command center they had ever seen. The whole of the ship's front was like an amphitheatre, dozens of officers all manning various stations, controlling the ship while others were taking care of overseeing missions, if the holographic displays all over the place were any indication. Forward, one console and seat was overseeing all of the others, placed above all the others. This had to be the commander's seat. Girouette was standing next to it, waiting.

A moment later, the seat turned around, revealing Prairie sitting in it.

"Let me take the opportunity to welcome you to Guardian Headquarters. And..." She stood up from the seat and turned to them, putting one hand on her chest as she smiled, introducing herself proper. "I am Prairie, the commander of the Guardians."

This was the second, bigger shock. Both teens' eyes widened.

"The commander of all the Guardians! Th-then that means... began Vent.

Girouette nodded, completing his reply for him. "She's a very important client. Which is exactly why I want you to call her by her proper title."

"But Prairie's my age right? How could a girl my age be commanding the Guardians?"

Prairie's gaze hardened. It was time to explain everything.

"The sentient machines known as Mavericks continue to attack people. This terrible situation should not even exist. Hundreds of years ago, man and machine put aside their differences and agreed to a truce. The Guardians have continued to investigate the root cause behind the current Maverick outbreaks. One day we found a research lab belonging to a certain scientist."

Girouette remembered that day. Apparently, Ciel had insisted on letting the Guardians recover the Biometal themselves instead of delivering it directly to them. To say the truth, he still couldn't understand why Ciel chose to do that.

"A 'certain scientist'?" repeated Vent, crossing his arms. Prairie nodded.

"The first commander of the Guardians... The one who disappeared. She was my Sis." that was a blatant lie. She was still in contact with her Sis. Personally, Prairie didn't understand why Sis had gone into hiding like this but she guessed she had her reasons.

"So you took over when she was gone..." he summarized.

Girouette decided to add to the conversation. "And we were hauling the Biometal that you found at the research lab."

Prairie nodded again. "A long time ago, the world was saved by a group of legends. Biometal are fragments containing the consciousness of those legendary heroes. There might be some hint regarding the Maverick outbreaks in the data stored in the Biometal. Fleuve's personal laboratory is right next to the transerver room. Take the Biometal data there for analysis. I'll be here analyzing the computer chip you brought back."

Prairie spun her seat around, facing her console again, getting to work. Girouette walked past the two teens, nodding to them before walking out of the command center. Quite the crazy story, indeed.

"Consciousness of legendary heroes, huh?" repeated Vent, talking softly so that only Aile would hear.

"Seems a bit unbelievable but if that's real... might explain a lot actually." she replied.

"Really? Still, let's go to the lab. Can't say I'm unhappy finally finishing this mission." he said.

Aile couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, sure was a wild delivery mission to say the least."

The two of them left the command center as well. As they entered the laboratory, they recognized the Guardian as he handed a red Biometal back to Giro. It was that annoying shortie back at the transerver room! He had also been in the crowd when they arrived but hadn't said anything. The two wondered for a moment if he was competent. Considering his short size and child-like appearance, they were not sure. But then, on another hand, Vent was suspecting that Fleuve was probably that competent. He sure was a lot more professional than the clowns he had to deal with back at the city.

As Giro walked away, carrying his Biometal back with him, Aile approached Fleuve. He smiled widely, a hint of nervosity rising.

"Oh, good, good. I have been waiting for you! Now, where is this fragment of Biometal?"

Aile took it out of her pocket and handed it to him. The mechanic looked at it for a moment, looking for cracks or other signs of battle damage. Thankfully, it didn't seem damaged. He had seriously regretted following Prairie's order to let those two go when he had seen Aile in action. Those two were obviously inexperienced, no better than some of their recent recruits! And well, it wasn't like Giro couldn't have taken care of himself alone anyway. Still, Prairie's the boss and he obeyed her.

Anyway... the important point was that he now had the Biometal and could finally analyze it. turned to the computer and inputted a few commands on the keyboard. Instantly, a strange scanning device emerged. The Guardian put Model X on it and before long, the scanning process was finished, the Biometal analyzed. Fleuve raised an eyebrow. Quite frankly, this was quite strange. The scanning procedure for Model X as well as Model Z had been awfully quick, way too quick. Usually, it was this fast when the data was already in the database but this couldn't be, obviously.

Oh well, he got the data now and he'll be able to investigate this matter later.

He took the Biometal and turned to face the two, smiling. "Data transfer complete. Much appreciated! You can take the Biometal back now."

Aile took it in her hand and stared at it for a moment. For a moment, she heard Model X speaking into her mind and she nodded, agreeing with it. She turned to Vent, showing him the Biometal.

"Here, take it." she said.

Vent blinked a few times. "Huh? What?"

"We're both Chosen Ones, right? Let's take turns. It's your turn now."

Vent stared at the Biometal. He could feel Model X calling to him and he remembered vividly how Aile had dispatched all those Mavericks using its power. If Prairie was right, Maverick outbreaks were happening all over... and well, as usual, Slither Inc. would probably fail to protect everyone. They can't be trusted with anything. But with the power of Model X... he'd be able to do something about it.

It wasn't a question and he quickly took it in his hand.

"Thanks." he said. Aile simply smiled in response.

Girouette leaned against the wall, finally beginning to relax when suddenly, the alarm was sounded, echoing through the entire ship. The transmission system of the ship also came to life.

"Mavericks detected in Innerpeace, Area D! Mission objectives will be relayed on arrival. Move out and await further orders. I repeat! Mavericks detected in Innerpeace, Area D! Mission objectives will be relayed on arrival. Move out and await further orders."

"Area D..." whispered Giro to himself before the realization hit him. "That's right next to the Slither Inc. head office!"

He took out the Biometal Model Z, preparing to transform when Fleuve almost leaped out of his seat, grabbing into his arm, stopping him at the last second.

"It's too dangerous for you to go back to town now! We must hurry to the command center."

The blonde man stared at the smaller Guardian, annoyed. In his mind, he quickly ran through his list of priority orders and figured that he might as well listen for the moment being. He backed down, putting the Biometal back in his pocket and quickly running out of the room toward the command center, followed closely by Vent and Aile.

As all four of them arrived in the command center, Prairie spun her seat, facing them. Her expression was completely serious, not an ounce of surprise visible on her face. "It looks like our enemy is on the move."

"'Enemy?' So they're not just random Maverick outbreaks?" Giro was a bit confused. Ciel and Zero both agreed that the Maverick outbreaks were the work of an unseen enemy but this was a guess based on emotion alone and to Giro, that had been insufficient. Why would Prairie come to that conclusion?

"After I did a little snooping on the chip you brought back, I found that there is a program controlling the Mavericks. There is someone behind the Maverick attacks, but they're just making them seem like random raids. They must have been trying to steal the Biometal you were carrying."

However, Vent couldn't care less about all this stuff. "Serpent's security forces... Where are they? Why haven't they arrived yet!"

His outbreak caught everyone's attention. Prairie blinked a few times before explaining.

"It takes time for them to be recalled to the head office from their patrol routes. But do not worry. Guardian ground forces are moving to intercept the Mavericks as we speak."

She spun her seat back to face her console and in a moment, every operator in the room resumed their work. The various displays showed the progress of the Guardians. Everyone in the room was speechless. The images were horrific, showing massive military grade mechaniloids pouring through the highway in alarming numbers with full air support and artillery fire covering them. The Guardian forces were putting up a fierce fight but were steadily being pushed back, unprepared for such a brutal assault.

"Ground forces reporting! The Mavericks are heading for the residential district. Troops are exchanging fire on the highway in Area D!"

The Guardian officer ducked on the display, the display vanishing for a second as an artillery shot landed nearby, nearly missing him.

"Push them back! We cannot afford them to gain a foothold in Innerpeace!" Prairie did not dare add that they had to succeed because that if a Maverick force, especially one as well-equipped and coordinated as this one, made its way into the residential district, it would be a carnage beyond words. Thousands would die.

The display flickered again as heavy fire caused interferences.

"We can't! There is just too many of them!"

"We're sending reinforcements right now. Keep them out of the residential district!" Prairie's heart sunk. Even if she mobilized reinforcements right now, which was currently being done, it would be too late. On every display, the situation was clear. The Mavericks were launching a full scale assault and without the Slither Inc. security forces to repel them, the Mavericks were steamrolling the token Guardian presence in the area.

Vent begun to shake, his entire body filling with dread. "No..." he whispered to himself, taking a step back.

Then he turned around, yelling the same word, loudly this time as he took off only for Fleuve to grab him. The teen begun to struggle, trying to push him out of the way.

"Vent! Where are you going!"

Vent stopped, taking a step back, everyone staring at him now. "I can help them if I use the Biometal!"

Giro's programming might not be the best ever but he knew a bad idea when he saw one and he stepped forward, determined to discourage his charge from doing a potentially terminal mistake.

"Think Vent! That Biometal is exactly what they want! You'll play straight into their hands if you go out there to fight!"

Unfortunately, Vent did not listen to him. "I lost my mom to a Maverick raid... If the security forces had reached us in time, she would still be alive today. Aile's mom too. Don't you understand? They had the power to prevent that horrible attack. But they did nothing... I refuse to be like them!"

And with that said, he stormed off of the room, knocking Fleuve down on the way out. Giro stepped forward, preparing to initiate pursuit but Aile got in the way.

"Aile! We got to stop Vent! He's-"

Aile interrupted him. "So you're just going to sit back and watch while the Mavericks do this! The people are going to get hurt when the Mavericks reach them! People just like my mom... You would let that happen again! Unlike you, we can't just sit there and watch!"

"Why won't they ever listen..." he muttered under his breath. He sighed in frustration.

"Fine. I will go help him." Aile's eyes widened as he said that so he explained. "Your safety is important to me. So if Vent is truly going to go out there... then I'll go and help."

Aile slowly stepped out of the way, finally giving Giro the opportunity to run out of the room. What an annoyance! He knows that this goes against Prairie's wishes but then, Ciel's orders were clear. The safety of Vent and Aile go over Prairie's wishes... and if for that, he has to do this blatantly stupid move, then he'll do it.

* * *

Vent stepped forward, staring into the distance. The battle was raging on and he could hear the pounding of artillery and see the flashes of the guns even from here. His body now covered in the same style of blue armor that Aile had been covered in, Vent brought his free hand to his arm-mounted Buster, Model X running diagnostics in preparation for the coming battle.

It was then that he heard a strange sound. He glanced back and saw what seemed to be a man with long blonde hair wearing an armor like his except red. He was just as Aile had described him when they had met at the transerver station before getting aboard the Guardian base.

"Hold on Vent!" he said, quickly catching up.

"Boss, I..."

His boss interrupted him. "I'm not going to try and stop you."

That was the last thing Vent had expected to hear. But Giro was not done. "But I'm not going to let you play the hero alone. Come on Vent, let's go!"

Vent smiled, nodding. "Right!"

The both of them took off toward the battle in the distance. With the power of Model X in his grasp and his boss at his side, Vent felt invincible. Those Mavericks will regret ever setting foot in Innerpeace!

* * *

Ciel was totally speechless.

"You... you WHAT?" went Ciel, eyes widened.

"I couldn't stop him, I'm sorry Sis."

"You... you-YOU!" she almost screamed. "Why? You could have initiated the transerver's override function! You could have overridden the location to a safe one! You-you could have..."

Ciel's words died in her throat. Anger just couldn't take a hold on her heart, her worry quickly chasing it away.

Zero him, gritted his teeth as he watched from another room. Vent was completely inexperienced, a mere teen who thinks he can play hero because he got an armor that makes him look like X. But as a veteran from countless wars, some of which he had not remembered yet, he knew very well that it didn't matter. All it took was one well-aimed artillery shell, one lucky missile launch, a shot too many from a Maverick drone and Vent would become a new name on the near endless list of those who fell before the wrath of the Mavericks.

He activated his communicator, indicating to Ciel that he wanted to talk, right now.

Ciel saw the blinking light on her console and instantly guessed what this meant. "P-please wait, Sis. Just... please wait."

She ended the transmission as Zero walked into the room.

"If Giro and Vent die there, the Slither Inc. will get their Biometals. Secrecy is irrelevant now. I'm going in. I got to save them."

Ciel stared at him for a moment and then nodded. "Please bring them back alive..."

He nodded before placing himself on the transerver. Ciel, getting a hold of herself, wiped the worry off her face, calming down. She would not let them go to their deaths, just as Zero won't. Now, it is up to them to prevent this disaster. She quickly inputted the coordinates and glanced at the red Reploid.

"All set. Good luck Zero."

"I'll see you later Ciel." he said before disappearing.

With Zero gone, Ciel opened the transmission to Area X again. "Prairie, please tell the Guardians not to shoot the Red Demon."

Prairie stood there, shocked for a moment. "What? The Red Demon is co-"

"Prairie, please tell the Guardians not to shoot the Red Demon." she repeated.

"The Red Demon is coming? Sis, the Red Demon is a dangerous Mav-" Ciel did not let her younger 'sister' finish.

"Please, believe me."

The Guardian commander sighed before looking down in defeat. "Alright, I'll tell our troops not to fire at him. I hope you know what you are doing..."

"I am. Oh and... sorry for yelling at you."

Prairie smiled weakly. "It's okay Sis. We'll talk about it when this attack is repelled. Prairie, out."

As the transmission ended, Ciel loaded the various maps of Area D into the computer, opening a channel with Zero's communicator. As the main display on the computer screen switched to showing Zero's current location, she smiled to herself.

"This is Ciel, are you receiving me Zero?"

"Receiving you clearly."

"I've loaded the maps of Area D. I'll transmit the target area coordinates to you right now."

Zero nodded, taking on his fighting stance. "Understood. Commencing mission."

* * *

It just didn't make sense now that he thought about it. How come those Mavericks had access to so much heavy weaponry? Five times already, Giro had almost found himself at the end of an artillery shell's flight trajectory. Likewise, Mavericks just didn't have the intelligence needed to operate such machinery usually.

He saw the defense positions right in front of him. The Mavericks had deployed portable bunkers and noticing the approach of the red Mega Man, had taken out bazookas and missile launchers with homing rockets as to track him despite his dashing systems and hit him with enough strength to ignore his armor. For a moment, Girouette wished he had brought a Buster pistol better than his civilian model one. The Z-Saber was a mighty weapon but in this kind of situation, it was woefully inappropriate.

The enemy Galleons took aim and a massive salvo of rockets emerged, a terrifying sight as more than two dozens of rockets flew through the air and Giro knew very well that their flight trajectory would end with him. He activated his emergency acceleration systems, diving behind cover. The missiles obediently modified their course to track him but fortunately, most of the missiles slammed into the debris behind which he had hidden behind, the others sailing over the obstacle but failing to detonate above their target.

Giro was no fool though and took advantage of the many holes that the artillery fire had caused on the highway, jumping out from behind his cover and jumping inside the hole, grabbing into the support column just underneath the bridge on the way down. That had been a smart move as a split second after he jumped out, giant bee-shaped mechaniloids made a pass and carpet bombed the spot where Giro had taken cover.

This was insanity, no way those forces were a random Maverick raid. They were regulars, a clearly organized military force. Zero could probably handle them but he was not equipped to face such a threat on his own. If that darn air support was knocked out, maybe he would be able to make it close to that barrage and get through but without a long-range weapon, there was no way he would be able to do that.

During this time, behind Giro's position, the Guardians were taking a pasting. Those were no regular Galleons turned Maverick by a fluke. Those were properly armored, equipped, and programmed enemies and their aim, as well as their weapons, was lethal. The Guardians had bled them, bled well, pouring as much fire as they could until the entire highway had been turned to Swiss cheese but the combined air support, artillery support, and the endless number of Galleons marching forward was slowly eroding the Guardians' defense, pushing them back. The issue had been in serious doubt until Girouette arrived and even then, they had no illusion as to their ability to repel an assault of this magnitude. They were merely buying time until the Slither Inc. security force could arrive.

Thankfully, Vent had taken another route. With the Mavericks doing their main push in the central lanes of the highway, the teen marched through the other lanes, the ones that had been in construction and had been hastily abandoned when the Mavericks began their attack. The enemy presence there was weaker, with fewer Galleons and mostly just strange face-shaped automated turrets getting in the way.

Still, even though he had avoided the brunt of the attack, Vent was shocked. He had been a young child when the Mavericks had attacked and to be in the middle of a battlefield had shocked him to the core. When he had heard of the legendary heroes and of the powers of the Biometal, especially from the way Aile had dispatched the Mavericks back in the forest, Vent had imagined that the fighting would be anything but like this. This was brutal reality, the pitiless, merciless face of war and it was shocking him to the core, bringing forth flashes of the past slaughters.

"What are Serpent's security forces doing? Where are they?"

"Focus Vent!" Model X called.

The battlefield was no place for one to lose focus. Model X was already overtaxed, trying to calculate safe routes and shake off detection attempts by enemy scanners. Vent had had a good idea getting in from this side.

Just as Vent made his way toward the combat zone, the two bee-shaped mechaniloids that had been trying to bomb Giro noticed the blue Mega Man sneaking in the position. They wouldn't let that happen! If the blue Mega Man and red Mega Man united their strength and launched a combined assault supported by the Guardian forces, it would break the attack's momentum!

Just as Vent made his way across one of the bridges toward the main lanes, the first bee-shaped mechaniloid made a low pass and stopped right in front of Vent.

The transporter blinked a few times and then, at long last, he came out of his trance. No longer was the noise of the battlefield getting to him. Now, it was just him and that Maverick and to him, every Maverick was the one who had murdered his mother.

Gathering the energy into his Buster, he took on his fighting stance, the bee mechaniloid locking its aim at him. Model X instantly came into action, scrambling the mechaniloid's aim and as it fired its twin gatling gun, the kinetic bullets sprayed all over the place harmlessly. For its trouble, the mechaniloid found itself with two charged Buster shots slamming into its eyes, pulverizing them and sending bits of glass and circuitry flying all over the place.

Losing its sight, the mechaniloid's back opened, dumping attack drones in an attempt to defend itself. The drones, dropped in a group of three, rose on top of comically long telescopic legs and took aim at Vent with their lone Buster. The teen casually side-stepped the shots, unleashing his wrath into the bee, blowing large parts of its armor off with his X-Buster discharges.

With Model X throwing off its aim hopelessly and the smaller drones unable to fire quickly enough to really tax the blue Mega Man's reflexes, the bee mechaniloid was reduced to advancing slowly, firing its gatling guns straight ahead, desperately hoping for a lucky hit. It never happened as Vent unloaded energy from both arms straight into the mechaniloid's rotors.

The helicopter blades keeping the mechaniloid airborne were sent flying and the mechaniloid, suddenly subjected to gravity, crashed into the highway violently. This was too much for the small stretch of road and the violent impact caused this part of the highway to come crashing down toward the ground below. Startled, Vent bent down and held on for dear life as he fell with the road segment. The tiny attack drones, lacking Vent's stability, went flying and fell to their doom.

As the road segment landed, Vent calmed down. He realized that he was also alive but also, looking at the inactivate mechaniloid, a new feeling entered him. He had defeated an enemy, he had destroyed a Maverick. Now, it wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore.

Feeling motivated, the teen begun to scale one of the pillars, trying to get back on the highway. He was surprised when his wall jumping systems kicked in, allowing him to scale the pillar with ease. Before long, he was back on the highway, smiling as the second bee mechaniloid came into view.

Having seen the defeat of its fellow mechaniloid, this one took a different approach, charging up energy into its front legs. Then, it unleashed the energy in the form of energy shots, firing them all over the place. Vent's eyes widened for a second, having not expected a barrage like this and frantically jumping to dodge the incoming shots. However, his timing was off and he jumped to dodge the very last shot a tiny bit too late, the shot catching him on the way down. It made a nice mark on his left leg but adrenaline flowed through his body as well as determination. Model X confirming that he had only been grazed by the shot helped too.

This time, he went straight for the rotors, unloading the energy quickly from both arms. The mechaniloid, having seen the fate of its fellow mechaniloid, attempted a dodge of its own, quickly elevating itself. The shots missed the rotors but slammed into the front of the mechaniloid, damaging its eyes although not shattering them.

Little toughie, isn't it? Vent decided to go for another strategy as the mechaniloid charged up for yet another energy barrage. Vent pointed his Buster, unloading his first Buster shot. Predictably, the mechaniloid dodged it, sending itself down, the shot sailing right above it. But Vent had faked it out and fired the remaining energy from his other arm much lower, causing the mechaniloid to steer its rotors right in the trajectory of the second shot.

The impact was devastating, outright blowing the rotors into pieces, sending the helicopter blades flying like oversized toy discs. Once again, the road could not support the impact as the mechaniloid crashed violently into it. Once again, Vent clung to the highway, although with a bit less fear in his heart than last time. With both mechaniloids out of the way, Vent quickly got back on the highway and dashed forward toward his boss to help him.

Giro had taken peeks out of his hole, watching as Vent destroyed both of the mechaniloids. That wasn't bad at all and with both of them gone, it now meant that the Maverick's air support was gone. More confident than before, the red Mega Man emerged from his hiding place, dashing as fast as he could toward a piece of cover nearer to the enemy. Again, the Galleons unloaded their homing missiles, trying to catch him. The cover absorbed the shot.

The red Mega Man guessed that the Mavericks, considering how abnormally intelligent they were, would soon start trying to guess from which direction he'll approach so as he begun to dash toward the next cover, the Mavericks instead targeted the cover instead of the Reploid. Giro had predicted this movement and dashed past the cover, letting the missiles sail past him.

The Mavericks found out about the mistake when Giro finally closed in and unleashed a fully charged Z-Saber slash on the nearest bunker. Although heavily armored and resistant to Buster shots, the Z-Saber sliced through the shell like butter, instantly killing the Galleon inside. As Giro spun his blade with grace, beginning to tear the Galleon formation apart, they began to jump out of their bunkers, retreating. This was, again, abnormal behavior for Mavericks for most Mavericks could not feel fear and thus, did not back down when losing.

The Guardians, seeing the opening, took heart and moved forward, the various green clad Reploids getting out of their cover and running to seize the position. It didn't take long for Buster fire to be added to the mix, striking nearby Galleons and preventing them from striking back at Giro.

All of this seemed like a victory until Giro paused to assess his surroundings. The enemy's retreat was short-lived as they abandoned their bunkers only to join the second line of defense, right behind where the position Giro had just destroyed was. Instantly, an ominous whistling sound filled the air and the Guardians that had run up to help him were engulfed in fiery clouds, the shockwave throwing Giro face-first into the ground. Shrapnel bounced around wildly, the enemy artillery systematically bombing the area just behind the Mavericks, covering their retreat and killing the Guardians that had stepped forward. Giro cursed his lack of a helmet as he felt smaller rocks fall on his head. Then, a violent impact slammed his face into the ground, making him feel dizzy for a second. As he looked up, he noticed that it seemed to be a Guardian...

Correction. It was the disembodied arm of a Guardian that had been blown up by an artillery round, having just bonked him on the head. At this moment, Giro peeked forward and felt the heat as the Galleons surged forward again, the lasers raking the few Guardians that had sensed the dangers of open ground and hidden behind cover, sparing themselves from the artillery barrage.

At this moment, Giro felt his heart sink as deep within himself, he got the urge to turn back and retreat. It was an alien feeling as he had not been programmed for this kind of situation and was supposed to be worthy of his original. But it didn't change the fact that in his heart, he knew that he couldn't advance anymore. If he tried to advance further, he wouldn't survive.

Just as Giro reluctantly brushed a finger on his communicator to call Prairie so that he would be teleported out before the enemy caught on that he hadn't been killed when that shockwave had knocked him down, a massive blue fireball enveloped in smaller red ones flew past him and slammed into the surging ranks of Galleons. The red Mega Man glanced back to notice Vent. He had finally caught up with him.

The appearance of the second Mega Man distracted the Mavericks and Giro saw in it his opportunity. Fighting the Mavericks in an open battle was leading nowhere. But organized Mavericks tended to be controlled by a more intelligent, more sane officer and if that officer is eliminated, the Maverick force will break down into a regular disorganized crowd of rioting machines. If he broke through the barrage and sneaked past the enemy line, he would be able to reach the enemy and defeat it before the battle become too desperate.

As the Mavericks begun to move forward, bringing with them large sheets of steel to rebuild their destroyed bunkers, Giro suddenly sprung back on his feet in the middle of the Maverick crowd, taking advantage of the distraction that Vent was providing. He dashed madly forward, not even bothering engaging the enemy proper, just cleaving the Mavericks who got directly in his way, taking advantage of the element of surprise to get past the blockade. With both the Guardians and the blue Mega Man demanding their attention, the Mavericks were unable to concentrate enough power to catch Giro, the red Mega Man safely dashing past them, leaving the formation behind and running toward the Slither Inc. head office building. Considering the movement patterns of the Mavericks, Giro guessed that their leader had to be nearby...

* * *

"I can't believe this, I can believe thi-" Serpent almost lost his footing as the building shook.

He quickly grabbed into the wall and after stabilizing himself, quickly continued to run down the stairs, the Model W fragment in his hand, his two bodyguards following through.

As the three of them passed by, a panicked secretary turned to face the president of the company. "What-what's going on sir?"

"What do you think? We are under attack!" spat Prometheus, not believing that she could be asking this. "Make way for the president!"

While Prometheus and Pandora were dealing with the employees inside the building, Serpent reached for his phone and quickly input the emergency code. Area D was the area just beyond Giga Aspis's territory, which meant that this force should have been intercepted by him and his minions way before it reached the building. The question of how he had let such a large force get by would be asked later.

For a moment, Serpent stopped in the stairs, staring at the phone. Why wasn't he getting any signal from Giga Aspis's base or from the secured channel? What was that reptilian idiot doing?

"Serpent... appears troubled..." stated Pandora, her voice as impassible as ever.

This caught Prometheus's attention, who turned to his boss. "What's going on?"

"That incompetent, Giga Aspis is not responding!" the tall Reploid turned to stare at his bodyguards for a moment before sighing loudly. "Pandora, whose force is closest to the building right now?"

"Protectos..." she answered.

Very convenient, in a way. Protectos is the supreme general of his security forces, just underneath him of course. There was no one more fit to deal with this crisis. Serpent quickly inputted the correct number.

"Protectos, this is Serpent. My office is under attack. Get your unit over here PRONTO!" he didn't even let his officer reply, ending the transmission as soon as it ended.

With this done, the two bodyguards glanced at each others and then back at their boss. "So what's next, 'glorious' leader?" asked Prometheus, his tone sarcastic and snarky as usual. "To the underground shelter?"

"And let them damage our office's brand new doors, which I paid a fortune for?" spat Serpent back. "I will use Model W's power to direct them away from here. Besides... this is an excellent opportunity to feed Model W."

As Serpent and his two bodyguards finally reached the ground floor and made their way toward the entrance, Serpent's phone rang. He answered quickly, wondering who might be foolish to call him in the middle of an attack. His expression soon transformed into a devilish grin as he heard the news. He quickly ended the call, putting the phone into a pocket, grasping the Model W fragment with his other hand.

"Well well well, it appears that the red and blue Mega Man have decided to pay us a visit. Shall we welcome our guests?"

Prometheus's and Pandora's smirks mirrored their boss's.

* * *

Zero was not sure what to think. This entire situation was awfully familiar. As he ran on the highway, destroying Mavericks on the way, he couldn't help but feel as if he was repeating a situation he had experienced earlier in his life and in a location basically identical to this one, nothing less. The fact that it was reminding him of Sigma somehow didn't help as he knew all too well how that particular case had turned out. In fact, everything regarding Serpent seemed to be ripped off right from his memories of Sigma. Coincidence, an inane plan of sorts, or simply the universe playing a prank on him? He didn't know and frankly, he didn't care.

Everything about this attack was confirming what he and Ciel had suspected for a long time. Sure, there had been strangely well-organized Maverick attacks in the past but none had been as blatant as this one. The updates he received on how the Guardians were progressing only served to confirm what he had feared; the Guardians were not prepared to face a true, serious enemy.

It had seemed so easy at first. Dash through, cut up whatever Maverick is stupid enough to stand in his way, catch up with Giro and Vent, drag them back by the collar back to Area X. Unfortunately, it seemed that while Giro and Vent were gaining ground, Zero was getting pinned on every single section of road as he ran into enemy reinforcements.

On one hand, what was a challenge to Giro wasn't necessarily for Zero. For example, as those Galleons formed up their nice little formation, complete with bunkers, and then unloaded their missiles, Zero took out an old toy he had brought for the occasion, the Shield Boomerang, and turned that trick back on them. The weapon absorbed the impacts without any problem and with one good throw, the weapon described a long arc, slicing into two the whole front of the enemy formation, leaving no enemy standing.

On another hand, the second wave of enemies included stuff far worse than what Giro and Vent had faced. As the Galleons fell to Zero, air support arrived to help. Zero had simply equipped his Ice Chip, got his Buster pistol out of its holster, and then let loose with the Blizzard Arrow EX Skill. The large barrage of sharp ice blades shredded the mechaniloids before they even got in range to bomb him, driving them off. Unfortunately, the enemy responded by dispatching better air support in the shape of a humongous, sword fish-shaped carrier. Even with Zero's immensely destructive Buster pistol EX Skills, there was no way he could shoot such a huge target out of the sky anywhere near easily and although he would normally respond by boarding the thing and then destroying its core, he was currently on a tight schedule.

Of course, this wouldn't have been a problem is the thing had proceeded to fire gun batteries at him but unfortunately, its underside opened and it proceeded to begin dropping bike-riding Galleons all over the place.

Zero continued moving forward, dashing as much as he could, trying to gain ground but it was difficult what not with those bike-riding Galleons constantly trying to run him down and that huge robot fish dumping more of those annoyances all over the place.

The crimson Reploid sheathed all of his weapons and activated his Z-Buster and as one of the Galleons made a pass, the took aim and punched it straight on the face as he side-stepped. The impact separated the Galleon's head from its shoulders. Unfortunately, this little test shown that the bikes were loaded with self-destruction systems that activated when the Galleons were killed, the bike blowing up almost instantly. He wouldn't be able to steal one to catch up to Vent and Giro.

As the bike things continued to harass him, Zero unsheathed the Z-Saber, charging electrical energy into it. He turned around briefly to face his pursuers and jumped into the air in a short jump before slamming his blade straight down into the ground, sending a shockwave through the highway. The electrical surge went through the bikes and the Galleons riding them, causing them all to spontaneously explode.

Zero knew he was only buying himself time so he quickly resumed his pursuit, continuing to run and dash toward Giro and Vent at a breakneck pace, sheathing his Z-Saber, taking out his Buster pistol again.

As the oversized fish carrier opened its underside again, Zero aimed his Buster at the articulations on the thing's hangar and fired a normal charged shot, the shot loaded with icy energy. The large fireball, tainted blue by the Ice Chip, slammed straight into the carrier's unloading system, freezing it in place and jamming it solidly.

With the carrier unable to unload more enemies, Zero took the opportunity to move forward. He could see the Slither Inc. main office building from his location. He was getting closer by now. He just hoped the Guardians wouldn't shoot at him. Hopefully, Prairie did as asked and told them not to fire at him...

Zero almost stopped as he saw the Guardians' forces in the middle of the highway.

The Guardians were pulling themselves out of their failed charge the best they could, trying to regroup. The scene was truly dreadful and brought him very vivid flashbacks of the failed Operation Righteous Strike, back in the Neo Arcadian era. The highway was unrecognizable, the cement floor collapsed into wide chasms at several places, craters everywhere. The highway, previously a bright teal and silver color, had been colored black with ashes. There were still odd bits of green and a bit of red now but it was mostly black now.

At this moment, Zero focused and he felt violently sick as he noticed the shape of one of the bits of green sticking out of one of the craters. It was a hand, separated from its owner, whose other body parts were stretched all over the highway in wet, crunched pieces. And even then, it wasn't the worst of it.

A dozen of Guardians charged across the battlefield, hearing the dreadful cries that came from those who had survived the artillery barrage earlier. Barely out of their cover, the Mavericks ahead opened fire. Just as they got out of cover, two of the Guardians' visors exploded as Buster shots slammed into them and tore through, tripping and falling down, the area where a human-like face had once been now nothing but gaping, burnt holes. Three of the Guardians stopped and kneeled as their brethrens ran forward, opening fire with their Buster guns. The shots bounced off the Galleons' bunkers, only a few shots finding the armor of their enemies. The Galleons did not flinch, more simply stepping over the dead ones, filling the gaps caused by the Guardians as soon as they were creating, never stopping firing themselves. Those three who stopped to give a cover to their allies paid for their defiance with their lives as a volley of homing missiles flew overhead and then turned around. The explosions tore into them effortlessly, sending their parts flying like toys thrown into a grinder.

The remaining Guardians jumped into the craters, following the sound of the fallen's cries for help, desperately wishing to save their friends. As one of the Guardians who made it through jumped into the crater, her eyes widened in shock. Her friend was lying at the edge of the crater, his screams of agony truly dreadful. His agony was understandable as the lower half of his body was now nothing but pulverized fragments strewn inside the crater, the oil and artificial blood pouring from the place where his waist had once been.

In two other craters, other Guardians grabbed the bodies of those who had survived the charge, most of them in such a dreadful state that it caused them to pause. This, of course, gave the Mavericks an opportunity and a new artillery barrage ended the cries of agony of most of the survivors, causing the highway to shake dangerously from the stress.

From the dozen that had charged through to save their friends, less than four returned and the three survivors they brought back were in such a state that the mere sight of them made the Guardians' always low morale sink even lower.

It was war, brutal and merciless, in all of its bloody glory and now, more than ever, Zero understood why Ciel had called him back and why she had begun the Biometal research. The Guardians thought they had been in control, thought that they were ready. They had been proven wrong.

"Zero." Zero was brought out of his thoughts as he heard Ciel's voice through the communicator. "This... is my job. Focus on the mission please."

Ciel was right. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't do the Guardians' job for them. He would use his power, fight for those who couldn't fight, and do everything that was in his power to make a difference. Working with Ciel, he would fight to protect their combined dreams. But he couldn't change the world alone. There were things that he could do and things that he had to leave to Ciel. And at the moment, what he needed to do was bring Vent and Giro back alive.

"Sorry, resuming mission. Zero, out."

The Guardians were still keeping their positions but with the battering they were receiving, it seemed like they were about to break and run any minute. Of course, as bad as things seemed, they had not been prepared for the surprise they got.

The Guardians in the back of their formation almost panicked when they saw the notorious Red Demon approach from the horizon at a terrifying speed. After the battering they received from the Mavericks, seeing that particular Maverick charge toward them was the last thing they had expected. The Guardian on the far-left of the defensive position, hiding behind a broken piece of the highway, peeked out of his hiding spot, slowly aiming. His Buster had been hastily modified to fire explosive shots and he hoped that it would be enough to hold off the dangerous Maverick.

"We just receive orders from HQ, top priority! Do not fire at the Red Demon at any cost. I repeat! Do not fire at the Red Demon at any cost!"

What was that all about? He shook his head, activating his radio equipment. This had to be a joke right? "I got the freakin' Red Demon bearing down on our position! We need to open fire before it gets in range to use its Z-Saber!"

"Negative! Hold your fire!"

That was madness! What was Prairie thinking? First those Mavericks who came in endless numbers and tore his squad apart, then that trap with the artillery barrage, and now the Red Demon? The situation wasn't merely critical, it was downright hopeless! If the Slither Inc. security forces don't arrive soon, the Mavericks will break through and get a clear shot at the residential district.

He took cover behind the debris he was, only occasionally peeking at the Red Demon as it approached. As he took a look at it, he couldn't help but snarl under his breath. The Red Demon was scary and ugly! This stupid horned-like helmet, the chest plate, the big gloves and boots, the long girly ponytail... the thing was a mockery of Giro's Mega Man Z form, a Pseudoroid right out of the history logs. He had often seen it on the news and they had said that it was supposedly very powerful but he had never thought it looked that scary. But now that it was dashing wildly toward his position, the Guardian could barely keep his trigger finger from twitching, survival instinct screaming for him to shoot at it.

And he wasn't the only one. The Guardians in the back were very nervous what with the disaster at the front and seeing the Red Demon bearing down upon them with that kind of insane speed only a Mega Man could reach was making their nerves knot up. This was a highly risky situation. No one was sure if the Red Demon would simply dash past them or attack, the orders had been unclear and had just stressed that they were not to fire at it no matter what happened. One of its dashes could quickly turn into a charge, its weapons blazing. A mere gesture could be turned into a Z-Saber swing. Likewise, the Guardians' nerves were strained, tension rising and rising and rising. If this continued, someone risked snapping and then, something very stupid could happen, something that could cause things to degenerate quickly.

The Guardians snarled as they saw the crimson Reploid dash past them. He seemed not to notice them, zooming past the Guardians' positions as if they didn't exist, his eyes cold as he zigzagged between the weary agents. All looked at it with a mix of dismay and fear, remembering the rumors and the reports on the havoc it could create, some wondering why it wasn't attacking them like the other Mavericks. Most of them didn't care. It was probably random or instinctive behaviour. The Red Demon was a Pseudoroid, not a Reploid. It had no soul and the cold glint in its eyes confirmed it for most of them. Such cold eyes could not hold emotion, not support a soul. It was a strange, inhuman, alien thing that looked like a Reploid but had none of the life that a true Reploid had. Just an immortal, soulless machine rampaging about without a thought troubling its programming.

Zero felt faintly annoyed as he glanced once or twice at the Guardians as he dashed past them. For some reason, it made him disappointed and sad yet he couldn't really decide himself why. Maybe he'd figure it out later but right now, he had more important things to think about.

Right ahead of him, Giro and Vent had passed through the enemy formation successfully... which although it meant that they were not in trouble anymore, also meant that he'd have to get through. Although this was the Maverick main body, he was fairly confident that it was nothing a few EX Skill attacks couldn't fix.

Unfortunately, Murphy had senses that last thought. He heard an unpleasant rumbling noise. More exactly, it was the noise of that stupid fish-shaped carrier he had jammed a bit earlier. He saw it, impressive and terrifying, passing over the Guardian force without a care. Zero briefly wondered why no one thought of firing at it.

The fish opened its unloading bay again but Zero was ready for the bike-riding Galle-

BOOOOM!

The impact was deafening, the highway cracking dangerously as the humongous behemoth dropped out of the carrier. Zero froze, a flashback haunting his brain. He had seen Variant drones back in the Neo Arcadian era that looked like that Galleon but for some reason, the flashback was of a Reploid that lived long before the Neo Arcadian era, one who had been fond of machines like these.

The only difference is that Vile never rode a Ride Armor as utterly massive as this one. It was an absolutely terrifying sight, one that made even the legendary Zero himself pause. Ride Armors were death machines, mechanical abominations created for the sole purpose of crushing and killing living things. They were a long forgotten, long outlawed technology, a leftover from ancient, more troubled times. And now, he was, for the first time in centuries, facing one such machine.

He knew it was one, he could recognize the design. The vaguely-humanoid shape, the massive, oversized armor plates, the massive drills where the hands should be, the giant boosters on the back, the thread-like legs, and the open cockpit with the Vile-like Galleon piloting it. Despite appearances, if this was anything like the Ride Armors of the past, the Galleon was actually shielded from attack as long as he remained inside of it.

The mechanical monstrosity made its way toward Zero. Although it was relatively slow like all Ride Armors, its sheer size and the advances in technology meant that it was still far too fast to Zero's liking and with its sheer size, it was so massive that dashing around it was not an option ; the metallic behemoth was as wide as the highway.

Still, since he was still alive to this day, it means he had found a way to defeat that Vile guy and his Ride Armors, right? If he could do it back then, he can definitely do it now.

The metallic giant raised one fist and then, with startling speed, brought it down in a crushing chop motion. Zero quickly dashed to the side but much to his displeasure, the thing's wrists were finely articulated and the drill-covered hand spun to point at him as it went down. It was then that the drills glowed in a bright light and erupted in three massive triangular spinning rays of green light. A triple drill Z-Saber mounted on a vehicle and enlarged to a ridiculous point, just what he needed he noted sarcastically.

This also meant that Zero's dodge was completely ineffective and the massive energy blades raked into his body. The sheer strength of the Ride Armor coupled with the drill blades' penetration factor meant that Zero's armor was almost entirely useless, tearing three massive chunks out of his chest, his armor barely slowing it down. The impact was also violent enough that Zero was sent face-first to the floor, sliding.

The pain was incredible and internal alarms echoed, confirming that he had not taken this much damage from an attack since the day Omega had caught him in his dashing Z-Saber combo. Zero barely had the time to evaluate the damage when the Galleon rose one of the Ride Armor's foot and brought it down, trying to crush Zero underneath.

He rolled to the side, activating the Z-Knuckle and pushing with its enhanced strength in both arms to send himself flying away from the Ride Armor in a desperate bid to put some distance between himself and the oversized monstrosity. Considering that his body almost grazed with one of the thing's triple Z-Saber drills again, it was a good thing he did so.

Pain raking his chest, Zero quickly emptied the contents of a sub-tank into his body and winced in pain as he brushed the blade of his Z-Saber against his chest, charging it with the Fire Chip, melting part of his own armor to cover the gaping openings in it. He then quickly repeated the motion with the Ice Chip applied, sealing off his armor.

Zero activated his communicator as the Ride Armor got closer again.

"I've got a bloody next-generation Ride Armor in my way! No way I got the time to take it out on my own. Any help from our Guardian buddies, Ciel?"

"I'm on it, Zero. You'll be alright?" she sounded worried and frankly, he understood. Considering how destructive that thing was, he had no desire to get a second taste of its Z-Saber drills again.

"Yeah, once I get that Galleon and his Ride Armor out of my way."

As the communication ended, Zero glared at the Galleon riding the humongous vehicle. No way he'll let a Galleon, of all things, stop him so close to the goal. Shaped like Vile or not, riding a bloody Ride Armor or not, he's getting through!

* * *

Serpent had been grinning when he got out of his head office building. As per Prometheus's and Pandora's information, Model W could indeed control Mavericks. The Mavericks had quickly encircled the building and began battering at it mercilessly but thankfully, most of their artillery, air support, and heavy weapons were used on the front, against the Guardians. The Guardians were putting up quite a good fight but just as expected, they were slowly but surely falling. Compared to the might of the Slither Inc. the Guardians were nothing and couldn't face off against a real Maverick outbreak.

Still, the Mavericks had shot at Serpent's newly renovated building and it upset him. Yet, as he held the Model W fragment in the palm of his hand and channeled his feelings into it, the fragment quickly sent its shockwaves through the assaulting Mavericks and they stopped in their tracks, leaving the Slither Inc. building alone to join with their brethrens in attacking the Guardians.

That left him to wait for the Mega Men to arrive. His grin was wiped off his face very clearly when he saw the first Mega Man arrive though.

The memory of his humiliating defeat at the hands of Zero ten years ago came back to him as he saw Mega Man Z arrives before him, Z-Saber in hand. Serpent had been overconfident, thinking that the might of Model W mixed to his own strength would allow him to overcome the Reploid of legend. That had been foolish thinking. He should have known that the Reploid who was able to destroy Omega himself would not be overcome so easily.

He would not do this mistake twice.

"Prometheus, Pandora... for now, stay on the sides. But if Model Z is anything like the original, I wishes for you to intervene. We cannot allow him to interfere with Project Haven!" he told his bodyguards.

The two nodded in agreement and Serpent grabbed into the Model W fragment proper. As Mega Man Z drew closer, he grinned in a friendly manner.

"Ha... welcome Mega Man Z! I am Serpent, head of Slither Inc. What brings you to our head office this lovely evening?" he exclaimed as the red Mega Man came into hearing range.

Girouette stared at the tall Reploid. Serpent had once been the highest-ranked Guardian, a Reploid whose strength almost matched that of the legendary one, Zero. According to the recordings, Serpent had the ability to MegaMerge with Model W, increasing his strength to a level where he could challenge even Zero although ultimately, his battle capabilities prove inferior.

Still, Serpent was an extreme threat and considering the Mavericks streaming around the building without attacking it, Girouette could guess that Prairie's guess was correct. It was indeed very probable that the Maverick raid was simulated and that this whole attack was a cover for Slither Inc.'s operations.

Giro straightened himself, staring at the tall Reploid, his eyes narrowing.

"I take it that all those Mavericks are under your command. As such, I shall use my authority as a Guardian and call upon the emergency Maverick judgement rule, as per Legion regulations for law enforcement organizations. Serpent, you are hereby suspected of being Maverick. You may stay silent as you are escorted back to Guardian HQ for questioning. If you resist, I am authorized to use force to restrain you."

Serpent and the two weirdos by his side simply stared before the one to his left, with the sinister skeleton-pattern armor and the scythe burst into laughter. The girl, to Serpent's right, suspended her long staff behind her somehow and sat on it, letting out a much more robotic, quieter laugh of her own. Serpent simply grinned.

"You are brave, Mega Man Z. Brave but stupid. This is Slither Inc.'s private property and I am afraid that as head of Slither Inc., I have much more experience than you at administrative wrestling." said Serpent before opening his hand, revealing the Model W fragment in it. "However, I believe that you are here to challenge me to a test of strength, not a test of knowledge of the law, if I am not mistaken. I believe that you are familiar with the power of the Biometal and my status as Mega Man W, correct?"

Girouette nodded. "Yes. Despite your status as Mega Man W, I retain my suspicion of your being a Maverick and ask of you to follow me to Guardian HQ for interrogation."

Serpent nodded, smiling. "Before I comply with your request, I wish to dispute your request. As both of us are Mega Men, let us resolve this dispute through battle. If you defeat me in battle, I will grant your request. But should you lose... you will have to answer for your misplaced recklessness!"

Girouette seemed satisfied and nodded. Prairie was thankfully reading all of this. "I accept your challenge. I shall use Model Z's power to defeat you!"

Serpent grasped the Model W fragment, smirking. Last time he fought a Reploid wearing such armor and carrying a Z-Saber, the defeat was bitter and humiliating. Since the incident ten years ago, he had however developed a few new tricks of his own. This Mega Man Z shall regret ever challenging him!

* * *

Ciel's eyes darted back and forth as she concentrated, trying to keep track of the situation on every side. The presence of a Ride Armor told her more about this attack than it seemed. Ride Armors were an ancient, outlawed technology and very few of those mechanical abominations existed in the world... and although Slither Inc. had attempted to build a prototype once, the only functional Ride Armors in the world were the express, exclusive property of Legion. And this, alongside with the ferocity, coordination, and equipment wielded by the Mavericks, said more about who might behind this attack than any control chip randomly yanked off a stray body might.

It had taken a while but the Guardians also seemed to finally accept the idea that the Maverick in the giant Ride Armor was their enemy while the one trying to fend it off wasn't. Or at least, they seemed to accept the idea that the greater threat was the Ride Armor-riding Maverick. Slowly, the Guardians begun to fire at the Ride Armor, giving Zero much needed cover while a few of them finally got the idea of giving the fish-shaped carrier a taste of anti-air fire.

The sword fish-shaped carrier quickly left, having fulfilled its function of bringing the Ride Armor to the battlefield, leaving with the Guardians to transfer their heavy weapons fire, using what little heavy weapons they had anyway, upon the Ride Armor. Still, despite them doing everything they could, they were barely scratching it and it was obvious that Zero was doing most of the work.

At first, she had been worried when Zero had failed to dodge the Ride Armor's attack and got hurt but as she watched the battle unfold, she became more confident. The Ride Armor was immensely destructive, its triple Z-saber drills inflicting horrid damage upon whatever was unfortunate enough to be struck by them but Zero had chosen to keep his distance, harassing it with his Z-Buster. Although the Guardians wielded mostly rapid-firing but weaker weapons that mostly bounced off the Ride Armor's heavy plating, Zero's charged shots were slowly damaging the Ride Armor, causing its joints to start to jam, its systems beginning to fail.

Still, Zero was progressing too slowly. Considering the thing's immense weight, she had suggested to Zero trying to collapse the highway underneath the mechanical giant. He had done things well, using the Z-Saber to crack the cement and then luring the Galleon into navigating the Ride Armor on the areas Zero had chosen. Yet, much to the Reploid and her own frustration, the thing activated its back boosters. It wasn't enough to allow it to take on Zero from the air thankfully but it was enough to keep it from falling off and bring it back on the highway from which it resumed its relentless assault.

If it was just Zero, she wouldn't be worried anymore, simply watching and making sure nothing went wrong. Zero is skilled, he'll definitely beat the thing.

The problem was Girouette. Her link to the Guardians' own networks allowed her to see the displays of the Guardians' progress and likewise, she had her own readings of Giro's progress.

Girouette had then confronted Serpent. Ciel flinched visibly when he did that. Girouette had the recordings in memory but apparently, it had not registered into him just how dangerous Serpent truly was. And ignorant of his abilities, Prairie, who was also monitoring the situation, had not stopped Giro from engaging him. This was foolishness of the worst kind, and not the same kind that Zero pulled off!

Girouette was a cheap copy of Zero, one she had created to test Model Z. He had unexpectedly gained sentience, the copy of Zero's feelings, memories, and personality within Model Z somehow rubbing off the empty body that Ciel had created, creating the Girouette that Prairie knew. Furthermore, Biometal Model Z and Model X were much earlier prototypes compared to Model H, F, L, and P. Compared with the kind of power that those later four gave, Model X and Z were extremely weak.

All of this meant that, simply put, Girouette did not stand a chance against an enemy as overwhelming and brutal as Serpent, especially not if using the power of Model W. He just didn't have the skills and power required to face him.

* * *

Serpent pointed his large gatling gun-like Buster at his foe, unleashing a massive salvo of Buster shots, the cannons firing in such a way that the salvo took on a v-like shape. Giro quickly analyzed the pattern of the shots. Serpent was very clever, firing his shots in a way that didn't leave gaps through which a Mega Man could dash through while retaining a spread distance between shots large enough for the discharge to be difficult even for a Mega Man to avoid. Still, Giro did his best, activating his emergency acceleration systems, kicking into the ground and leaning forward as he attempted to get out of the way.

However, Serpent had chosen his target area for the shot very well and despite Giro's effort, one of the shots slammed into his left leg. Serpent had expected that and it was an understandable mistake. But Giro also committed an error that Zero never would have. Namely, in his rush to dodge the attack, he dodged to the right, toward Serpent, instead of to the left, away from him.

This was the perfect opportunity and the tall Reploid did not lose any time in taking a step back before performing an impressive backflip, sending himself forward. Passing near Giro, Serpent spun his right leg, sending the pointy tip of his boot straight into Giro's chin. The impact sent him flying back, the red Mega Man landing straight on his head. As Giro fell on his back, he wondered for a second why the entire world was spinning before his systems diagnostics indicated he was just a bit dizzy from the impact.

The red Mega Man got back on his feet and charged energy into his Z-Buster, preparing for his assault. He aimed for a second and then activated his dash systems before leaping in the air, bringing his blade down and unleashing all of the energy within. It was a quick, lethal attack, one Serpent had seen before and that Zero mastered. It was obvious that Girouette was nearly as good as Zero... but there were tiny mistakes, tiny details that he got wrong and those details made all the difference.

Just like how Giro had reacted the wrong way, getting closer instead of keeping his distance, he stood still and stared at Serpent for a second, aiming and locking his aim. It had been a very short pause but in the heat of battle, it had been a dead give away. Giro's sword struck only the cement as Serpent unleashed his own dash systems, sliding straight underneath the red Mega Man before spinning around, unleashing a mighty uppercut straight to the back of the red Mega Man's head.

Although Serpent did not have a weapon akin to Zero's Z-Knuckle, he was still an immensely strong Reploid and the Biometal Model W fragment had increased his strength to a level sufficient to send Giro face-first into the floor.

Giro quickly sprung up but Serpent joined his hands and then brought his arms down, slamming his fists into Giro's head again, sending him slamming into the ground even harder. This was yet another mistake ; although one was vulnerable when laying down, getting up with the enemy in melee range was not the smartest thing Girouette could have done. Zero would have certainly rolled out of the way first before attempting this.

As the blonde Reploid grabbed into the floor and then used his strength to slide himself forward before springing up to his feet a short distance away from the taller Reploid, he figured that the battle was not going well at all.

"You disappoint me, Mega Man Z! The original from which you are based was far stronger than you!"

The taunt did its work and Girouette grasped the handle of his Z-Saber with all of his strength. Although it would drain much of his energy, he decided to use the boon that he had over his original, namely the Giga Attack, a feature that Zero's copy body had not been able to emulate yet. With both hands gripping the handle, Giro let out a battle cry, channeling all of Model Z's power into the blade as he thrust it into the ground.

There was a loud noise, like an explosion, and the energy channeled from the Z-Saber erupted from the ground in tall pillars of destructive power, spreading toward Serpent in a circular pattern. Prometheus and Pandora, watching from a safe distance, grinned just as their leader did. So it seemed that there might be a measure of power inside of that red Mega Man after all.

Serpent thought quickly as the pillars approached. The pillars were as explosions, the energy rising and then collapsing back into the ground just as the next set of pillars rose. He thought for a moment of dashing in-between two sets but the window of opportunity seemed too small. He then thought of maybe finding a gap in the circles but the farther the sets spread, the tighter the circles. In the time that his thoughts took, the pillars were nearly in his face. It was time to act.

The tall Reploid jumped forward, trying to time his movement so that he'd go over the next set and land as the previous set sunk into the ground. However, distracted a bit too long, he found himself jumping too late and a pillar singed him from underneath. Although the contact was brief, he still kneeled on landing, the energy surging through him. It hadn't been as bad as expected but it was something he definitely needed to prevent from happening again.

With the green and white Mega Man getting closer, the red Mega Man took his sword out of the ground as the attack ended and took the opportunity to attack in close range, dashing forward, his blade blazing with green energy. Serpent waited, glaring at him before leaping at the last second, Giro stopping his dash and swinging the Z-Saber, sending a wave of green energy forward not unlike Zero's EX Skills. The wave missed entirely and Giro found himself wondering where Serpent had gone for a second.

His question was answered as Serpent unleashed his dash systems in mid-air, sending himself flying toward Giro with both legs extended, kicking into his forehead with both feet. The sheer strength of the impact sent Giro backward so hard that his head made a loud 'THWACK!' sound as it slammed into the ground. If the kick hadn't been strong enough to knock him out, the second one definitely was, the red Mega Man's vision spinning out of control as he became too dizzy to attempt to get up again.

Serpent landed in front of the Red Mega Man and stared at him, pointing his Buster at him, preparing himself in case he got up. Seconds slowly passed and as Serpent regained his breath, both Prometheus and Pandora approached, nodding to each others. The both of them were clearly disappointed. Girouette was meant to be nearly as good as Zero and considering the skills he had unleashed, they had never expected him to go down this easily. Was Serpent truly this powerful?... or had they overestimated the red Mega Man?

With the battle over, there was a flash of light and Serpent was back in his usual outfit, the Model W fragment floating above the palm of his hand. "Prometheus, Pandora, extract the code from him."

His two bodyguards approached the body and as they begun to link their power with Giro, Serpent looked down at his fallen opponent, the taste of victory turning to ashes in his mouth. Apart from the Giga Attack, the Mega Man model Z had been nothing like he had expected...

However, as he glanced to the horizon, his disappointment faded, an evil grin forming on his face. He could see him approaching in his blue armor... the blue Mega Man, Model X.

"Change of plan, Prometheus and Pandora. Let us do a little experiment instead."

Serpent straightened himself, the two stopping to look as Vent finally made it. The teen took a step back, his eyes widening as he saw his father figure knocked down.

"Boss!"

"Ah, you've come. Model X, the blue Mega Man." said the tall Reploid, grinning ominously. "Welcome to the Slither Inc. head office. But before introducing ourselves, let us see the power of the legend in action."

Serpent grabbed into the Model W fragment and concentrated into it. Its eye glowed briefly, bonding with the Maverick's feelings of guilt, rage, and hatred... and as it did so, a stream of energy emerged from it and begun to flow straight into Girouette. Giro's eyes begun to convulse as a feeling of pain beyond anything he thought possible set his entire body ablaze, his body beginning to glow ominously. The red Mega Man could feel Model W amplifying his hatred, trying to link itself to it, to parasite him and he unleashed all of his will power to try and repel its influence... but Giro's efforts prove to be in vain.

The light faded and the three stepped away, putting themselves at a safe distance as Giro got up, his entire body shaking with an unnatural rage. He could barely think, suppressed frustration rising and consuming him. And as he saw Vent, the rage focused and he realized with rising horror that he was losing control. He had failed. He had become a Maverick.

"Ugh... UGH!" Giro gripped his Z-Saber so hard he thought he would shatter the handle, his entire body shaking out of control. He couldn't hold it any longer, his mind eroding by the second. "Stay... away... It's a trap..."

"B-boss? What happened?" asked Vent hesitantly.

Giro's eyes begun glowing behind his visor. It was a lost cause. He couldn't keep his feelings in check. And with Model W's power, he knew he was going to go berserk. There was only one way this was going to end...

"Vent! Sh... sh... sh-shoot me..." he tried to warn him but at this moment, the Maverick state fully gripped him and he stopped shaking, straightening himself before taking on a battle stance.

Vent saw Giro pause for a moment, telegraphing one of his charged Z-Saber slashes yet despite having seen him do back on the battlefield, it didn't really register in the teen's mind, Vent clinging to a vague hope that Giro would somehow resist the Maverick corruption that had very obviously just occurred. Even if Vent had no idea what caused it exactly, it was unfortunately very obvious that it was the case. But he refused to believe it.

But as Giro leaped, screaming a battle cry, bringing his Z-Saber down upon him, Vent was forced to acknowledge the awful truth as he dashed to the side. The blue Mega Man had begun to move way too late and although Giro didn't cleave him in two, the green blade slammed into Vent from the side, making a very noticeable dent into his chest armor, the residual energy from the attack spreading into his body and causing him to visibly flinch.

The red Mega Man quickly followed, slicing into the air, sending a small crescent-shaped beam flying toward the blue Mega Man. With Vent at such close range, the attack struck him just as the last one did, knocking him backward. Vent managed not to lost his footing and as he looked into the glowing eyes of the one he had seen as a father figure, he felt a feeling of sadness, despair, and confusion rise within him.

Again, Giro aimed, locking his aim and as he leaped to attack him again, Vent finally realized that much to his horror, he would have to fight to survive. This time, he dashed in time underneath the red Mega Man, his blade striking only cement. Girouette quickly spun around, predicting where his foe would be only to receive a fully charged Buster shot straight into the face. He recoiled a bit before feeling the second charged shot slamming into his visor, scrambling his vision for a second and breaking his concentration.

Vent pointed his Buster at his boss, hoping that the pain would help clear whatever had been done to him but unfortunately, Giro only reacted by unleashing another war cry, plunging his blade into the floor, unleashing the same Giga Attack that he had attempted on Serpent.

Seeing the large sets of pillars exploding toward him, Vent blatantly panicked, activating his dash systems and moving back and forth in a frantic attempt to avoid the attack. Model X took over briefly, directing Vent in-between the fiery pillars. As Vent was far smaller and faster than Serpent, he succeeded where the bulkier Reploid failed, dodging the attack successfully.

As Giro took his blade out of the ground, he recoiled again, Vent putting two more Buster shots into him, this time aiming at his chest armor. Vent was starting to get genuinely worried. Despite putting four fully charged shots into Giro, he was still going as fiercely as before, attacking in a berserk manner like a... like a...

Girouette froze again, aiming at the teen but instead of bringing his blade down in a downward slice, he leaped all the way above Vent's head before bringing himself down, Z-Saber pointing downward, trying to plunge his weapon straight into the teen's skull. Vent, surprised by the quick, violent attack dashed away in a panicky fashion. As he got out of the way, he found himself suddenly shaking as Giro landed, the sheer kinetic force of the attack causing debris to fly from the place he had struck.

Although the earthquake had only been temporary, Vent somehow couldn't stop shaking and his first Buster shot flew past the red Mega Man, missing its mark entirely. The second one struck Giro right in the face, cracking his visor dangerously. Vent shook his head in disbelief, his arm shaking so much that despite Model X's best efforts, he just couldn't get a good lock upon Girouette... not that he wanted to. He was so... confused, so panicked.

"Stop it! Come on boss, stay with me! You have to fight it!" he begged.

"Grrrrr... aaaaagh!" Giro's voice came out distorted, like some kind of twisted animal, his entire body shaking but for a vastly different reason than Vent's.

Serpent, him, had grown sick of the show already. Considering the expression of total boredom on Prometheus's face, he guessed that his employee was feeling the same. He guessed that Pandora probably felt the same way but being far more robotic, it was hard to gauge her feelings. Anyway, he had seen more than enough.

Calling upon Model W's power, Serpent concentrated a small discharge and shot it at Girouette in the form of a thunderbolt. Sure, it was an attack far removed from his Mega Man form's overwhelming attacks but in Giro's weakened state, having being beaten up by both Serpent and Vent in quick succession, it was more than his systems could cope with and he finally collapsed.

"Boss!" screamed the teen in despair and anguish, running to the side of his father figure. He bent down, shaking his disbelief at what happened.

As Vent found himself no longer in danger, his fear and panic finally faded, another feeling rising to replace them... hatred. Anger filled his mind. The Mavericks had taken his mom before and now... and now this? He looked forward only to find himself face to face with the last figure he had expected to see.

"Who are you!" The truth was that he knew who it was but the shock of seeing him here, of all people, made him unable of saying anything else.

"Salutations, Mega Man X. The name is Serpent. I rule all that lies before me. You may call me the Model W Mega Man, if you like."

"Serpent!" Vent almost spat, his anger and hatred peaking. "You're the president of Slither Inc.!"

"I see my reputation precedes me. You'd do well to remember me, blue Mega Man!"

Vent's hatred was so raw, so pure that Serpent could almost taste it as he rose his Buster to point at him, his arm shaking with the sheer power of the anger within his veins.

"You're the one behind the Mavericks and what happened to boss!" he spat, charging up for a shot as he spoke.

Serpent's bodyguards stared at each others before turning to the blue Mega Man, a smirk on their faces.

"You're shaking... It is anger... Or fear?" taunted Pandora. She knew it was the former but she needed to know if that teen had it within him...

Prometheus had no time to waste with Pandora's games though. His smirk faded quickly as he crossed his arms. "Hmph, why does it matter? The red one was more of a challenge than this one, at least."

"H-How could you?" almost screamed Vent. "I'll show you what kind of man I am!"

"Ah, poor little weeny blue Mega Man. What you mistake for courage is nothing more than mere recklessness. So just go home before you get hurt and let the grown-ups do the fighting." goaded Prometheus.

"Quiet!"

His taunt had the intended effect as Vent unleashed all of his power into his Buster. It was a perfectly executed attack despite his shaking, the teen using Model X's aid to lock into the trio and launch his shots in quick succession with lethal precision. It didn't seem to impress them though and Serpent made a quick hand gesture. Prometheus got the signal and stepped forward, taking out his energy scythe and swinging it with blinding speed, almost too fast for the eye to see.

The scythe caught both Buster shots and sent them back flying toward Vent with perfect precision and timing. Shocked and surprised, Vent was knocked down as he tasted his own medicine.

"No!"

Serpent rolled his eyes. What an useless waste of time. Still, since he was here, he figured he might as well make it clear once and for all to this worthless puppet. He cleared his throat and then spoke.

"Chosen ones like us, who can control the Biometal's M.E.G.A. system and transform, we are called Mega Men. The chosen few are the shepherds for guiding the flock in a new world. But I am afraid that you have proven with your pathetic abilities that not all Mega Men are fit to rule."

Serpent concentrated a small part of his power into the Model W fragment and sent a second arc of lightning toward Vent, not unlike the one had used to knock down Giro. It had the intended effect, overtaxing the blue Mega Man to the point where Model X could not longer compensate and initiated an emergency separation, the teen transforming back into the form of a weak, fleshy Humanoid.

"Pandora, pull the password out of them."

"Understood, lord Serpent..." she said, before the sides of her helmet separated and floated on their own toward the Vent and Giro, stopping above them. Strands of data briefly flew from their frames, linking the devices to the two Mega Men...

"Well, that was easy." said the scythe-wielding Mega Man before turning to the taller Reploid. "What should we do with them?"

Serpent shrugged, rolling his eyes for a second. "Bah. Leave them to the Mavericks and carry on as you were."

He then turned to the horizon, smiling as he saw a familiar and most welcome sight in the skies. His communicator came to life, confirming what his guess.

"This is Protectos. We are moving to intercept the Mavericks. I repeat, we are moving to intercept the Mavericks. Mister Serpent, please retreat inside of the head office until we have performed our duties. We shall feed you with a live feedback of our progress as usual."

"Perfect. Your timing couldn't be better." he said before ending the transmission. "A battle between the evil Mavericks and the heroic Slither Inc. security forces. Classic. The people of this city will go on with their lives as usual. We need the facade of peace to continue on just a little bit longer. Eventually, their sacrifices will all become glorious offerings for Model W."

"W-what did you say!"

Serpent blinked a few times, staring down at the teen. Why did he suddenly act so surprised? His thoughts were interrupted as Pandora finished pulling the data they needed out of the two, the two devices floating back to her helmet.

"Password data retrieval complete..."

"HaHA-hahaha! Finally, we have all of the passwords!" although it was a bit undignified, Serpent couldn't keep this one out. At long last, he had all of them...

He turned to his minions, a wide smile on his face. "Let's go. It's time to proceed with Project Haven."

He turned to the two fallen Mega Men, putting a fake expression of sadness on his face, bowing slightly. "Now, I am sorry but I am needed elsewhere. Do not worry about the Mavericks who are rapidly bearing down upon this position. I will make sure to send personal apologies to your families about this little incident once the Slither Inc. security forces have recovered what's left of you."

He made a gesture at the two and quickly teleported away, Pandora following. Prometheus stared at the two, an uneasy feeling gripping him for a moment. He crossed his arms, frowning deeply...

"So... that's it? That was all that the Biometals of X and Zero could do? This was far easier than what he had foreseen."

Prometheus deactivated his scythe and sheathed it before activating his own teleportation device. It was time to go.

Time seemed to stand still as neither of the two could move, only the distant pounding of artillery and the noise of gun fire in the distance denting the silence that had fallen upon them. Defeated, humiliated, Girouette did not have the strength for anything more than just watching the one he had been ordered to protect. Despite appearances, the truth was that Vent was in a much better shape than him.

The body underneath was shattered beyond recovery, most of his vital organs reduced to burnt sludge by the immense amount of damage he had suffered, the vast majority of his circuitry nothing but molten metal. The truth was that he was alive solely because of Model Z. Having been made using a copy of Zero's memories and personality, Model Z had the same stubborn determination to survive and refused to admit defeat in spite of the reality that faced it. All of its power had been removed from the weapon systems, the Biometal emulating the vital functions of Giro's body in a desperate bid to keep him alive.

Another point was that with the Model W fragment no longer nearby, the Biometal had been able to start to reroute Giro's mental processes. Being based off Model W and effectively linking to its host the same way that Model W did, Model Z also undid the Maverick corruption the best it could. It was a clumsy attempt but nevertheless, Giro felt it as the burden of the amplified anger and guilt left his body, his mind returning to normal.

But what good did it serve? Already, Girouette could see the figures of the Mavericks approaching. They were still out of range but he and Vent were behind enemy lines. There was no way that the Guardians or Zero could rescue them now.

Vent had noticed the figures approaching and tried to muster enough strength to stand or even just crawl away but the sheer amount of energy he had expended fighting off the Mavericks as well as the massive damage he had suffered were keeping him grounded firmly. All he could do was struggle useless, futilely as the Mavericks approached him.

"Argh... My body... won't move..."

This scenario was a worst case one, one that Girouette had never thought could have occurred. Still, Ciel had programmed him so that he would protect the Chosen Ones no matter what. With the total failure of his body, he knew that he could no longer fulfill his mission. Likewise, Vent was too weak to defend himself.

Still, there was to be something he could do...

It was then that Giro remembered about a certain aspect of Biometal. The risk of such an action would be great, the chances of survival low but it was better than no chance at all. Sure, it would mean that he would die in the process... but if fulfilling his mission of defending the Chosen Ones required his sacrifice then he will do it without any hesitation.

"Never... give up... You still have something... you must protect."

"Boss! You're awake!" a mix of worry, relief, and disbelief could be heard in Vent's voice. That his boss could be still conscious after all the damage he suffered...

It was then that Model Z analyzed Giro's thoughts and figured what he was going to do. He had already guessed that Model Z would oppose this course of action but he was adamant about it. Vent's survival was more important than his own.

"Model Z, listen... Don't worry... about me..."

But the Biometal was not going to listen. It didn't even bother transmitting the thought into Giro's brain, his words echoing through Giro's frame.

"Do you have any idea of what you're asking? Your body is already beyond recovery and is still functional only because of my efforts. If you transform back now, you will not survive your wounds..."

But Girouette didn't care. He was a shell, a partial copy of Zero created solely to act as a test subject for Model Z. The very fact that he had a mind of his own had been pure blind luck, a side-effect of the memories and personality data within Model Z imprinting the host body it had used. Compared to Vent and Aile, his life had no value.

Model Z didn't seem to agree, not caring if Giro had been designed as a literally soulless copy robot initially. Girouette still had a mind of his own and to Model Z, that made him a sapient being deserving of life just the same as any human, Humanoid, or Reploid.

But Girouette didn't see it the same way. All his life, he had lived in the shadow of his original, his life having meaning only in the fulfillment of his directives. If giving Vent and Aile a future depended on him giving up on his life... then there would be no hesitation at all.

"Alright, I will..." finally said Model Z in defeat.

Girouette stared at the boy he had spent the last ten years of his life protecting for the last time. As Model Z prepared to disengage the fusion, Girouette couldn't help but wonder...

Will he 'move on' like humans and Reploids do when they die? Did he have a soul or was his mind only an illusion, merely a software routine tainted by personality data?

"Vent... be strong..." he said, before closing his eyes and giving the signal to Model Z to disengage the fusion.

Model Z had not lied and before Vent's eyes, Girouette seemed to melt as the Biometal disengaged the fusion. As the armor disintegrated, Girouette's systems failed practically instantly, his burnt circuitry falling apart almost on the spot as Model Z's own circuitry let go of it and stopped supporting it. It was thankfully an extremely quick death, Giro's body being so damaged that he basically fell into broken chunks not bigger than small pebbles upon transforming back to normal, the broken down artificial bones and circuitry unrecognizable underneath. In the flash of light, Vent briefly saw what seemed to be a small sphere of light flying away...

As his father figure died before his very eyes, Vent's heart sunk. A familiar and very deep scar was opened once more inside of his soul, the very traumatism that allowed him to harness the power of the Biometal stirring his body like it had, ten years ago.

"Boss! Boss!" he called, in vain. But it was useless as Giro's body had already disintegrated. He was gone... gone... "Not again... First my mom... Now Boss... I can't protect anyone..."

"Vent." His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Model X spoke in his mind. "If you combine the power from the two Biometal fragments, you might be able to transform again. I can't be certain whether or not you will be able to bear the strain when the two fragments are combined but as it stands, this is your final option."

Vent wasn't really paying attention anymore but Model X could see it through his eyes. The Mavericks had finally arrived. They had already surrounded them and they were already beginning to check around. One of the Maverick Galleons had approached Giro's remains and was checking it, searching it for something. There was no doubt that once they would be done with him, they'd check Vent and notice he was still alive. And then... he didn't want to think about it.

Model X wanted to urge Vent to make a decision quickly but Model Z, connected to its fellow Biometal, sensed the thought and stopped it from talking. Having the memories and personality data of the legendary hero Zero, Model Z understood that if Vent was to act, he had to be given the right words and Model Z knew exactly what would drive him to act...

"It's your decision. You alone must make it. Do you have the will to fight? Do you have what it takes to continue where that brave man left off?"

It had the effect Model Z had predicted. Girouette was gone but thanks to Vent, he would be able to continue the fight against Model W. Likewise, using his power, Vent would be able to survive and overcome his grief, aiming to honor Giro's memory through his acts. Now the only question was whether he would be able to combine with Model X without straining Vent's mind too much. Multiple MegaMerges, although possible, are immensely risky. Whenever Model Z MegaMerged with Giro, he would deploy as programmed, rearranging his body's organs and other parts as well as using itself as material to create his armor. Likewise, the fusion was also one of the mind, the resulting Mega Man Z being the combined consciousnesses of Girouette and Model Z. The same was true of Model X for Vent and Aile, just as it was with Model W and its own host as well.

The primary problem was that MegaMerging was already inflicting much stress upon the host body as its entire body is literally transformed to be compatible with the new functions. Multiple MegaMerges, although theoretically possible, would involve a level of stress and a number of designs clashing that risked causing incompatibilities. Effectively, multiple MegaMerges could pretty well kill the host. Then there were the risks of having three and more minds controlling a single body. How would Vent's mind react to sharing his form with both Biometals?

The risks were great but the situation was desperate and attempting this was better than doing nothing. At least, Model Z was secure in the knowledge that since both he and Model X were prototypes, they caused less stress and radical changes in the host, a result of their lower power and abilities. Still, theory was one thing, practice was another and now, it seemed they would find out if a double MegaMerge is possible...

"Model X... Model Z..." Vent whispered, staring at the floating red Biometal. "Power... I need your power. I need to protect the people, all of them! Please... give me strength. Give me the strength I need to fight for those I care about!"

This was it, the hour of truth. Both Biometal fragments flew toward Vent and placed themselves in each hand.

"Biolink activated!" said Model Z at the other Biometal just as it begun to glow.

"Biolink activated!" replied Model X, linking itself to Vent as well. "Foreign interface detected. That's you Model Z, right?"

"Yes. X, on my signal, I'll intertwine my interface with Vent's brain."

"Wait, Model Z! Vent is too weak to stand right now. If we initiate the fusion while he's lying down, we run the risk of assimilating parts of the highway into his systems. We should perform a partial MegaMerge first on each side. Then let's begin the fusion once that is done."

Vent felt power flow from the Biometals and slowly stood up as large strands of data begun to orbit him. The feeling was strange, very much unlike when he had merged with Model X. Instead of the Biometals covering him entirely right away, he could feel the two slowly creeping up his arms, each one progressively covering one half of his body yet not touching or solidifying yet.

"Stress level acceptable on this side. How is it going on your side, Model Z?"

"So far so good, X. So got any ideas on how we're going to pull this one off?"

Model X quickly thought. For a moment, the images of X and Zero appeared in his mind as he begun to think of a way a hybrid could work. It wasn't easy as Zero had a very different design from his counterpart and relied on external weapons and his armor was of an external type, not unlike the type that humans used to wear in combat long ago. X relied more on a reinforced body frame with internal weapons. It was then that in a flash of hindsight, Model X realized how he could make the fusion work.

"I'll slide underneath you and initiate a partial full body MegaMerge. Use your own procedure normally but modify according to the data I'm sending... now!"

The light became blinding bright, encasing Vent in what seemed to be a bubble as the Biometals finally met. Model X begun to modify Vent's frame, the feeling not unlike the normal MegaMerge from before but before the armor pieces could solidify, Vent felt Model Z creeping up, mixing itself to the armor pieces, modifying them. His armor retained a design closer to that of his Mega Man X form but the gloves and boots were given a red color not unlike Mega Man Z.

"I'm encountering a design incompatibility on the lower body level." said Model Z, alarmed.

"Leg articulation systems are incompatible! Stop that Model Z, you'll merge his articulation bones into a solid, inflexible block!" replied Model X.

"That's non-sense, X! He doesn't need leg enhancements like this!" argued Model Z.

There was an explosion at the back of Vent's head as his hair seemed to burst out of the half-completed helmet, forming six large strands, almost like tentacles... blonde strands, the wrong color for Vent.

"Malfunction detected at head level! Are you alright, Model Z?"

"G-gah!" went Model Z, his voice strained and pained inside of Model X's mind. "Stupid malfunction! Wait, you need materials for that silly lower body and legs enhancements of yours? Hang on tight!"

Model Z shifted itself, draining data away from the head and chest armor. The chest plate armor split in two and the top and back of the helmet faded away as the data was shifted back to Model X, forming white armor plates that covered Vent's lower body and legs. With the head exposed, Model X moved in to cover the opening formed. The remaining data was channeled into the Z-Saber system. Mentally, Model X and Z sighed in relief.

"How is it holding on your side? Vent's body seems to be bearing the stress pretty well."

Model X sighed again, in annoyance this time. "Systems all green... although that gaping opening in the central armor is something I could do without. The Buster data got corrupted so I transferred it to the Z-Saber instead the best I could. Oh and could you do something about that hair?"

There was a pause and Vent's hair strands merged into a single one, forming an immense ponytail. It was fairly ridiculous in size even compared to Zero's.

"Best I can do I'm afraid, X. I got a bit of leftover data. I'll try repairing the chest plate."

The last strands of data flowed to cover the opening on Vent's chest but an incompatibility occurred between X and Zero, causing them to shift to Vent's shoulders and hands, creating large shoulder plates and reinforcing the gloves.

"Not the effect I was looking for. Still, I think we got a pretty decent fusion. Seems stable on my side." said Model Z.

"Everything's green. Now for the hard part, the mental interface."

Model Z couldn't help but chuckle a bit to himself. "Hard part? You're the partner from whom my personality and memory data was extracted from. I think it will be the easy part, X."

Model X did not reply. He felt profoundly uneasy at that last comment of Model Z and was very thankful that he didn't guess why that had made him so. Still, Model Z was correct. The only thing left to do was establish the interface. This made Model X think for a moment as Vent's forehead glowed, the triangle shaped gem glowing as the circuitry inside formed, Model X's circuitry intertwining with Vent's brain just as Model Z did the same. However, a final malfunction occurred and the green crystal extended out of control, forming a thick line that went all the way to the back of Vent's head. Model Z aborted that change in panic but the mistake was already done.

"Hey! Pay attention X! What was that about?"

"N-nothing. Everything's ready. Let us complete the MegaMerge. Still... this process has lasted thirty seconds and we have registered no attacks from the Mavericks during the transformation."

This made Model Z pause. Vent was transforming in the middle of a Galleon mob. A teen glowing brightly was not an especially subtle sight so in a way, it made the Biometal wonder how it was possible that the transformation had gone so smoothly. Still, he guessed that the important was that it was finally done.

Vent's eyes glowed green for a second and at long last, the MegaMerge ceased, the light around him fading. As Model X and Z connected their interfaces to Vent, Model Z opted to stay in the background. He'd manage the weapon data while Model X would manage the body data. With the fusion finally completed, Model X alerted Vent as he felt the power coursing through him.

"Vent, our strength..."

"Is yours!" completed Model Z. "And Giro's spirit is also with you!"

That was a lie but he guessed that it would help. It sure had the intended effect as Vent managed to smile. It seemed he didn't mind the mess-ups regarding the merged form, much to Model Z's relief. As he read the teen's thoughts, Model Z was suddenly surprised.

Why is X hiding some of his memory data from him?

His thoughts were cut off as Vent finally took over. "Let's do this!"

Vent spun to face the direction where the Mavericks had come from. He could feel it now, even more than before, the power of the Biometals pouring into his veins. With the power of both Model X and Z, there was nothing he couldn't do. Those Mavericks would pay for what they did to his mom and to his boss! He begun to run, surprised at the feel as he felt both the speed boost coming from the leg enhancements Model X had placed upon him and a strange, springy feel to his steps as the boots, Model Z's design, converted the kinetic impact of each step as to move him forward faster.

In the distance, he could see many airships beginning to arrive. The logo on them were unmistakable.

"Those are Slither Inc. airships!" he spat before unsheathing his weapon.

The Z-Saber, at first in the form of a Buster pistol while in its holster, unfolded into a sword handle and quickly generated its blade. Vent gripped his weapon, ready to face Serpent and his goons. He wouldn't let him get away like this so easily!

"Now just where do you think you are going? Stop right there!"

Vent felt a strong grip on his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Annoyed, he spun around and was about to say something but then, his eyes widened, his voice dying in his throat. This... this is...

* * *

"This is ridiculous! Just how much abuse can you take?" spat Zero.

He couldn't believe that Ride Armor was still standing. He had been hammering into it for many minutes now, putting charged shot after charged shot into it, using all of his best EX Skills, the Guardians carefully hitting every weak point they could find with as many explosive bullets as they could yet the stupid thing kept going. Zero momentarily lost his breath and instinctively massaged his right arm, feeling pain all inside of his body. He drained the content of his third sub-tank, kicking his auto-repair into overdrive and helping the massive openings in his chest armor and legs close.

He knew it wasn't smart, that if he continued taking so many risks, he'd end up having to use his fourth and final sub-tank but he was running out of time. Girouette had fallen, overwhelmed by Serpent's might. Ciel had warned him, warned him many times about how formidable Serpent was when he was MegaMerged into the form of Mega Man W but just hadn't registered. All that Girouette had understood was that Zero had humiliated him when they had fought back at the Ragnarok Core vault and with his abilities being equivalent, Giro had incorrectly guessed that he would be able to take on Serpent. Only... the differences, no matter how insignificant in theory, had turned out critical in practice and Serpent had quickly dispatched him.

The good news was that Serpent had not killed him and instead decided to pit Vent and Giro against each others, which bought him extra minutes. The bad news was that Serpent had gotten sick of it and knocked the both of them down. Although they were safe for now, there was no way Ciel would be able to get a lock on them with the transerver right now and the second the Mavericks get to them, things will get ugly.

Zero heard his communicator coming to life but for some reason, Ciel did not speak immediately. For a moment, he thought that there had been a glitch but soon enough, Ciel spoke through.

"Z-Zero!"

She sounded as if she was pained, her voice filled with anguish, as if she was suppressing tears. A cold shiver went through all of Zero, a nameless fear gripping him.

"G-Giro... Giro is dead!"

For a moment, it seemed as if the entire battlefield had grown silent. The noise of the guns had stopped, the battering of the artillery gone. All of the Guardians, all of the Mavericks, even the Ride Armor didn't seem to be here anymore. He was alone, staring wide eyed at his communicator.

"What." his voice processor seemed to glitch, unable to put an emotion in his tone.

"I tried to warn him but I couldn't get to him! He... he... I knew he was too damaged to cancel the MegaMerge. I knew it!"

Zero stood there, not sure what to think or believe anymore. He had never liked Girouette. As a copy body of him, Giro had always creeped him out. He had especially disliked how Giro managed to fight so much like him, always acting like him and talking like him. On one hand, it was as if looking at a mirror yet Giro had always felt a bit too robotic, a bit too inhuman and it had creeped him out. Sometimes, after Giro would foul up a mission, Zero would jokingly make a wish that Giro would end up being beaten up or somehow scrapped by a Maverick. After all, he had never really cared about Giro's safety and for all he knew, he could be scrapped altogether.

But now that it had happened... he wasn't sure. He didn't feel the sheer anguish or rage that he had felt back when X had been killed. But he didn't feel as if it didn't concern him either. He just felt... cold, empty, confused.

Then, at this moment, the highway shook as the Ride Armor charged up, raising an arm, its Z-Saber drill powering up, the battlefield ablaze with noise once more. The red Reploid stared at the Galleon, his empty feeling turning to cold fury.

"I have absolutely no time to waste on you. None at all." his tone was freezingly cold, cold like the coldness of death.

Zero took his Buster shot out of its holster and unleashed a partially charged shot, blasting the Ride Armor straight into the articulation. The metallic joint, already weakened by repeated hits from both the crimson Reploid and the Guardians, finally gave in and exploded into pieces, sending the entire arm spiraling to the side. The Galleon stared intently at the spot where the arm used to be. Then he looked up to see Zero standing on the cockpit, his right arm glowing, his Z-Knuckle fully charged.

The red Reploid grabbed into the Galleon by the head and thrown him out of the cockpit, sending him flying off the highway. With its pilot gone, the Ride Armor's self-destruction device activated not that Zero paid attention to it. He had already jumped past it, running as fast as he could toward the distance. He wasn't sure if Ciel had said something or was saying anything through the communicator, he hadn't really listened. All that he knew was that with Giro gone, nothing stood between an unarmed Vent and Mavericks lusting for his blood. He could see them, surrounding him already.

Secrecy was irrelevant now and Zero dashed to the rescue. The Mavericks paused for a moment as whatever they were surrounding illuminated them, blinding them. What caused this was not important right now. What was important is that it made them targets while preventing them from attacking Vent.

Taking the Z-Buster out of its holster, Zero activated the electrical Elemental Chip and used his V-Shot EX Skill. As the electrical power coursed his pistol, the bullets split into duplicates, Zero showering the entire area with bullets. Although each shot was individually weak, Zero fired as fast as he could, unleashing a barrage that dropped many of the Galleons standing on the edge of the circle surrounding Vent. Finding themselves under fire, the Galleons lost interest in the teen and turned, expecting to find a Guardian squad... only they found themselves staring at a single red Reploid instead.

The Galleons stared at each others, knowing who that particular Reploid was. They had their orders and anyway, they had found what they had been looking for. Nodding to each others, they stepped away from Vent, forming a line and starting to fire back.

Zero didn't care, continuing to fire as he side-stepped each and every shot aimed at him, most of his own shots impacting into the Maverick ranks despite the imprecise nature of the V-Shot EX Skill.

Nevertheless, the Galleons did not care if Zero was tearing their ranks down. They had found what they had been looking for and already, one of them had taken the opportunity to run away while the others covered it. Regardless of if they did anything to Zero, their purpose had been fulfilled.

As the last of the Galleons fell, the light finally died down, Zero finding himself staring at... what? What is he seeing?

Ciel had often spoken about Model X and Z. They were prototypes, the first Biometals she had created and as such, their abilities were inferior. However, as a side-effect of this, she had theorized that due to the lower stress they caused, it would be potentially possible for one to MegaMerge using both at the same time, creating a new form with a potentially extremely high power level. Ciel had never attempted to do this in the past for the very real sensible reason that such an experiment was likely to kill whoever she'd use as a test subject but it seemed that now, before Zero's very own eyes, what Ciel had suspected had been proven. Indeed, before him, Vent had transformed into Mega Man ZX.

"Ciel... Are you reading this?" he asked through his communicator.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

It was a strange situation. A mix of intense frustration, fear, and being upset at how the Guardians had proven so unprepared and how Giro had gotten himself killed, a mix of worry and yet relief that Vent was still alive, anger that he had gone on so recklessly, and now awe, pride, and a strange sense of happiness seeing Ciel's and his own efforts for the last ten years finally rewarded, Mega Man ZX standing before him at long last. All of the feelings distracted him for a moment. So much had happened in such a short time that he wasn't sure anymore what to focus on.

However, as Vent noticed the approaching Slither Inc. forces and begun to run toward them, Zero's mind was brought back on track. They had taken their sweet time but finally the Slither Inc. forces were there. That was good. What was less good was that Vent was running toward them, weapon in hand, in full battle gear. In a flash of hindsight, Zero guessed why Vent was running toward them.

"That brainless-!"

He broke out into a sprint, running toward the transporter as fast as he could. Vent stopped and activated his weapon, transforming it into a Z-Saber, preparing to assault the approaching Slither Inc. forces. Well, he wouldn't let him. He grabbed into the teen's arm, stopping him straight in his tracks.

"Now just where do you think you are going? Stop right there!"

Vent turned to face him. For a moment, the transporter was utterly silent. What seemed to be Girouette had just grabbed into him, holding him in place. However, Vent had just seen his boss die, he knew it couldn't be him. Likewise, his boss wore a visor, not this weird helmet. Likewise, Giro didn't have his hair in a girly ponytail like this...

For a moment, Vent was utterly confused but as he stared into the unknown Reploid's eyes, he quickly begun to remember news reports he had seen and then, in a flash, it came to him. Vent's gaze hardened as he glared at the Maverick.

"You are the Red Demon!"

However Zero had no time to waste with such things. Especially not now that the Slither Inc. forces were approaching.

"Vent..." the transporter's own communicator came to life. "The battle between the Mavericks and the security force has begun. You can't stay there. It's too dangerous. Return to HQ immediately."

"Prairie... let me fight. I must... Protect them... Every last one of them." he begun to protest.

There was no time for such silliness anymore. Giro is dead, the Guardians have been gutted, and they're in the middle of a battlefield.

"Look, if you stay here, you'll get killed. We got to get out of here."

Vent glared openly at him. He wanted to insult him, to shoot him. The Red Demon was a Maverick, one more of those soulless Pseudoroids like the ones who had killed his mother and now his boss. He wanted nothing but to plunge his Z-Saber into that red monster's heart.

"Vent... please. Return to HQ immediately."

The teen glared at the red Reploid some more before, finally, he begun to move. Zero let go of his arm and watched him as he begun to walk back toward the Guardian positions. As the rush of adrenaline and the various shocks he had received begun to fade, Zero sighed to himself, finally relaxing. On one hand, this whole situation was a giant mess and fixing it will not be pleasant but on another hand, he felt relieved.

The wait is over. It is time to move.

* * *

Aile's face was so pale, the teen looking like she would collapse at any moment. What she had just seen on the displays...

"I'm such a fool. Giro knew Vent was in over his head and he tried to stop him, but I helped him rush in anyway. Giro saved us again... Why did we have to be the ones to make it out alive?"

"Aile... Don't start thinking like that." although Prairie could understand why she felt guilty, the fact was that this entire operation had been a disaster and such negative talk would cripple the Guardians' morale beyond recovery so she needed to rectify things quickly.

"Huh?" Aile blinked a few times, turning to her.

"Giro gave his life to protect him just as he would have for you. Don't ever forget how much he cared about the both of you."

Aile shook her head, whispering the name of her father figure weakly. By then, Vent had entered the command room and leaned against one of the walls. He was deathly silent, staring at Model X and Z in his hands...

"Vent..."

The teen turned to look at her before shaking his head. "It's okay, I'm fine. I can't sit on the sidelines wiping my tears away while the world falls to pieces. Serpent said he would sacrifice the country to power Model W. I have to keep fighting. We must stop Serpent. Boss would want it that way. That's why he gave me Model Z."

With that said, Prairie decided it was time to share what she had found out. "By the way, we have finished analyzing the data on the computer chip Aile brought back earlier and found out a few things. Biometal Model W apparently has the power to corrupt machines and humans alike. That's what has been causing the Maverick outbreaks. But according to the data we found, Serpent only has a fragment of the Model W Biometal now."

"How could he control Boss and the Mavericks with just one piece?" asked Vent. It was actually a pretty good question but Prairie did not know and she had to continue the explanation anyway.

"According to the data, the primary Biometal W component, the Model W Core, is lying dormant somewhere waiting to be awoken. I'm not sure what the Project Haven Serpent mentioned is... But I think he's going to try and awaken the Model W Core. He'll use it to take over the world."

Aile shook her head. "No, he's going to try and sacrifice everyone. That's what he said. Well, I won't let that happen! Where is the Model W Core now?"

Prairie paused for a moment.

"I'm not sure... Some of the data was corrupt and we couldn't complete the analysis. What I do know is that the six passwords encoded into the Biometal fragments are the keys. Combined they will unlock the seal that contains the core. I managed to get Model X and Model Z first..."

"But Slither Inc. found the other four." completed Vent. "It looks like we don't have much choice. We have to fight and take them by force!"

"So that's your plan? Strike Slither Inc. bases at random and hope you get lucky?"

Everyone turned toward the entrance of the command room and instantly, the eyes of every Guardian in the room went wide. Since such an event had been totally unexpected, most of the people in the room just stared but one Guardian in his computer cubicle was always carrying his Buster gun, just in case. Never had he thought what the others called him being paranoid would finally turn out to be a justified worry.

Springing up from his cubicle, the operator yelled as he frantically fired his Buster gun in blind, sheer panic. Being untrained and in a state of panic, most of the shots went off the mark, striking the wall and very fragile computer systems all around the place. The Red Demon didn't seem to care and held out some kind of weird round weapon, like some sort of wheel, absorbing each and every shot,

After a while, the Maverick got sick of the Guardian's bravado and thrown the weapon. It flew in the air, everyone staring as it seemed to fly around like some kind of weird sawblade-shaped boomerang before arching toward the Guardian, going straight through his Buster and leaving it to fall in two pieces at the bottom of his cubicle. As the weapon flew back to him, the Red Demon caught it in mid-air and then, slowly, deactivated it.

"Anyone else is going to try their luck?"

He looked around, noticing the looks of shock that remained on every face. "Good."

Prairie, finally recovering from her shock, slammed her fist on a certain button of her console. But as the expected sound did not come, she pressed it again, more gently again. As she realized something was going wrong, she begun to frantically push the button.

"Don't bother. That particular system is being jammed."

Vent gripped the Biometals, glaring openly at the Red Demon. Guessing what he was going to do, the Maverick turned to him...

"I'm not here to fight you. In fact, I'm here to help you all and from the looks of it..." he said, turning to look at Prairie. "It seems like you definitely need my help."

"The Guardians does not need nor wish to associate with Mavericks." she replied, getting up from her seat. "Please leave. We can face our problems alone."

The Red Demon crossed his arms. If the situation wasn't so serious, he'd probably find it funny but at the moment, this was a most appalling situation, one that needed to be fixed urgently. And first things first... Prairie needed a serious reality check.

"Really? I overheard the whole conversation. You're seriously thinking of taking on the Slither Inc. in the open with a single armored carrier and a handful of volunteers?"

Aile couldn't believe this. She was not going to let that monster lecture them! "We have to stop Serpent! We have to-"

"Stop him how?" interrupted the Maverick. "The Slither Inc. is a vast military organization with bases all over the country. They have armored carriers, plural, true battle model Reploids, full army groups with proper military grade equipment, and hundreds of experienced officers to lead them into battle. You couldn't stop a single Maverick attack and had to be bailed out by the Slither Inc. and now you think you can fight them in an open battle? There is bravery and then there is stupidity."

"How dare you!" Vent couldn't believe this. "Who do you think you are, Maverick scum?"

Prairie wasn't going to let it slide either. "You are wrong. We can stop Serpent, I know we can. Sis has entrusted me to continue the fight for her and I will. We weren't ready at the highway but now we know and we will react accordingly. We do not need your help, Maverick. Please leave or we will expel you by force."

The Red Demon did not move, glaring openly at the pink-wearing girl as she stood her ground and returned the glare.

"You've got to be joking. Your troops got slaughtered out there. If I hadn't come in and bailed them out, none of them would have returned. Vent might not even be here right now."

"So what are you suggesting? That we give up and let the Slither Inc. destroy this country and take over the world?" Prairie was losing her patience by now.

"No. You're the Guardians, the organization created by Dr Ciel to protect the world, the descendants and successors of the Resistance that brought Dr Weil down. You are better than this. You need to organize and prepare for the coming war."

"And just who do you think you are to tell us all this... Maverick?" Prairie hissed the last word in pure contempt, her eyes narrowed as everyone glared at the Red Demon.

"No one. Just someone who fights for what he believes in. I thought you would remember that..." the Red Demon's own eyes narrowed. "Alouette."

Prairie's eyes suddenly widened so much they almost looked like wide circles, her face turning practically white. She stared at the Reploid. No one alive remembered this name, no one. Alouette was long gone, gone with the mists of time. Now there was only Prairie and it was the one who everyone had known since they had joined. If this Maverick knew this name then could it be that... that... No. It is impossible...

Suddenly, all of the displays in the command room shut down except for the central one, which enlarged and switched to showing a room plunged in total darkness. A mysterious figure could be seen on the screen, hidden from sight, its traits unrecognizable.

"That is enough!" the voice was alien, the tone seemingly random with each word. The voice was very obviously masked, making it impossible to guess to whom it belonged. "Calm down, both of you."

Everyone turned to face the screen. Vent and Aile in particular glared at it.

"Are you...?" begun Prairie, trailing off.

The mysterious figure nodded on-screen. "Correct. I am the one currently jamming your security systems and the one who sent the Red Demon."

"Serpent?" theorized Vent. It would definitely not be underneath him to resort to such a tactic. But the figure on the screen shook its head.

"No. I cannot tell you who I am but I am an ally. Although you may not like to admit it, Serpent is a powerful foe. You will require aid to overcome him and the Red Demon will help you."

"And why would we associate with a Maverick, with the very thing we swore to stop?" asked Prairie.

"Not all Mavericks are born out of Model W corruption. Reploids and humans who refused the 'gift of mortality' from Legion... they are branded as Mavericks and forced to live outside of society, struggling for survival in a world far different from what the people from inside Legion knows. The Red Demon is one such political Maverick. Although he has been shunned by Legion and shunned it back, his final loyalty lies within humanity and the Reploid race. He will help you overcome the Slither Inc. as I will."

There was silence for a moment in the room. Aile shook her head, frowning deeply. "I don't care..." she whispered to herself before turning to the screen and repeating it aloud. "I don't care! You've always hated us, always been too selfish to care about others, hiding among your fellow Mavericks while they slaughter innocents! Why should we trust you?"

"I am not asking you to accept us or even to forgive us... but Serpent threaten everyone with his plans and may you like it or not, the Red Demon as well as I are still members of humanity and the Reploid race. All that we wish is to help."

"That's crazy! You're not going to accept the help of those nutcases!" pleaded Aile but Prairie stared at the screen and for a moment, a feeling of deep shame filled her as she realized what was truly happening and what this transmission truly meant.

The Guardian commander bowed down slightly, closing her eyes. "Alright... we will tolerate the presence of the Red Demon for the moment being. However, know that as long as you will continue to live outside of Legion law, it won't matter if we fight side by side, we will not petition Legion for the removal of your Maverick status."

"It is alright. I will contact you later in order to share data and come up with a plan regarding the next course of action. Until next time, you may use the Red Demon as a liaison agent if you need to talk to me."

The display flickered back to displaying whatever it used to show before it was hijacked and all of the systems returned to normal. Prairie sat in her seat, closing her eyes as she thought about the issue. Vent and Aile simply glared at the Red Demon. Vent slowly approached the crimson Reploid and stared at him intently...

"I know you saved my life." he said. The Red Demon remained impassible. "But to me, you're just Maverick scum. And once Serpent is done with, you'll be next."

Vent walked out of the room, not bothering to look back. As he left the room, the Red Demon turned to the door and waved. "You're welcome!" he yelled through the door before turning back to Aile, who had approached him and was staring at him by now.

For a moment, he could see the confusion on her face mixing in with the hatred. Political Mavericks? What had that figure meant by that? Aren't all Mavericks murderous machines devoid of souls, Pseudoroids incapable of emotion? Likewise, the talk about the refusal of the 'gift of mortality' had also confused her. Isn't it natural for people to age? Then, there was another question she wondered...

The Red Demon was a murderous Maverick, one wanted in the entire world, one most feared... yet, back at the highway, he had dived in the battlefield and saved the lives of the Guardians, asking nothing in return, gone as soon as the battle ended. And now, as they found themselves about to face Serpent, here he was, offering his help again, neither he or his mysterious friend making any demands, talking about how even if not accepted, they are still parts of humanity and the Reploid race...

"I am not asking you to like me. You... may hate me if you want." his voice was strangely cold, determined yet, Aile thought that for a second, there has been a hint of sadness in it... "I just wish that once on the battlefield, you will be able to trust me."

The teen stared at the Maverick for a moment before shaking her head and walking past. First the Biometal, then Serpent, and now this...

What's really going on?

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	6. ZX, Red Demon Daughter What

**OFF:** First, sorry to all those who waited for the chapter ; real life circumstances have caused me to be unable to respect my schedule regarding the fanfic. Likewise, I had a huge writer's block that was pretty hard to get rid of. However, with this chapter completed, I should be able to resume writing chapters as normal (as in, it will take a week or two rather than several months to get the next chapter out).

I really, really hope that you will find that the wait was worth it.

Now for replies to my readers' comments.

**To AgeogAdvent:** Glad you liked the chapter. I will make sure not to disappoint.

**To anonymous:** Actually, this is more based on my interpretation of the games. To be fair, the Guardians make a lot of boneheaded moves and tend to be a lot less impressive, as far as friendly NPCs go, compared to the Resistance and Maverick Hunters of previous games. And well, they're not facing what is exactly the weakest opposition in the franchise either. They're more outclassed than outright incompetent ; it's just that their flaws become very apparent when faced with a foe the style they face.

And I know that not all beam weapons are z-sabers. It's mostly a reference for the readers as the z-saber is very characteristic.

As for Zero, keep in mind that on a pure technical level, Zero's body (at least the copy version used by the real Zero) ceased to be a marvel of engineering as early as the Neo Arcadian era. Zero's big strength is his versability ; he can pick up almost any weapon and mix upgrades and gained abilities to create crazy techniques and combos. Although his pure power is no longer unequaled, his skills in combat remain supreme and he has an unique mindset and method of doing things that tend to be very bad for villains facing him.

Oh and regarding the boss's attack... the Ride Armor's attack wasn't really worth bothering expanding energy from the Variable Weapon System on. It was just shooting at an angle using a really big gun. Zero can do that already.

**To fanfictionlover4444:** Thanks to know you liked it so far. 

* * *

**Megaman ZX**

Red Demon's Daughter What?

* * *

Old habits die hard and Zero's habit of taking a tour of all places that are to be his headquarters for any amount of time was no exception. It was one of his weirdest habits, when he thought about it. He was usually considered to be the type who focused on the task at hand and didn't have much time to lose and yet, despite this, he always took the time to explore each of his new 'homes' and to talk to each person everywhere at least once. He had done this in the time of the Neo Arcadian wars, exploring each of the Resistance's HQs, Area Zero, and other places and talking to as many people as he could. Back then, that had been an attempt to jog his memory but now that he thought about it, even though he wasn't exactly talkative, it was still something he enjoyed secretly.

So there he is, making his way through Area X. In a way, he was wondering why he bothered. After all, after the battle of Ragnarok and after the Resistance was remodeled into the Guardians by Ciel, Zero had served for over forty years aboard the Area X. And then, ten years ago, he returned and did that same routine when he returned as mister Roze. And now, even now, here he is, making his third tour of the ship.

But although he had been countless times on this airship, the red Reploid couldn't help but shake that feeling that nothing was the same anymore. On one hand, many things could change in ten years but on another hand, he wasn't sure if he was happy about it all. As he stopped for a moment on the lower deck, he stared outside through the large windows, watching the clouds pass by the ship as it continued its endless journey. Back in the first days of the Guardians, the lower deck was filled with heavy machinery, agents moving about as they took care of the ship's reactor's maintenance, loaded and unloaded various vehicles for use in missions, and took care of various other such business on this deck. But now, the deck was empty and the large heavy lifts had been sealed, a measure showing that they had not been used in years and would probably never be used again. Once one of the busiest decks, it was now completely empty, the hall to the reactor core completely devoid of noise except for the humming of the ship's engines.

There was nothing to see here, that much was obvious and Zero slowly boarded the primary lift, deciding to visit the primary deck. Except for his visit of the command room in the front, he had not explored much of his deck. Back when he had been in the Guardians, that deck had been the primary personnel quarters. He could guess that this hadn't changed as everywhere he looked, various agents were busy in the halls, talking, walking, doing stuff. The crimson Reploid decided to see the new faces of the Guardians and walked toward the back of the ship.

As per his past visits, he approached each of the doors and activated them, walking in and watching what was behind them. The first room was what he had expected and just what he had remembered. Fairly spartan, with only a double bunk bed and some flowers and of course, a large window showing a breath-taking view of the world. It wasn't that far off from the old Resistance quarters model except clean and with less supply boxes piled up in the corners. Back then, Resistance members and the early Guardians had that habit of leaving stuff lying around and Zero had amassed quite a collection of lost and found objects over the years. Some he had gave back to their old owners, others he had found an use for, and the vast majority he had not found even a hint of an idea what the heck to do with them until he got that job as a historian. At first view, if only from that first room, those new Guardians had a better discipline with their belongings as the floor didn't have stuff for him to yank out and carry off with him into the sunset. Maybe in the next room.

Zero made his way to the next room and opened the door. Same model of room but with an occupant currently in. Good, maybe socializing a bit will help the Guardians ease up a bit and recover from that speech he gave them back at the command room. He quickly entered and stopped in the middle of the room, straightening himself, smiling confidently.

After a short while, the crimson Reploid's smile disappeared as the Guardian stopped whatever it was doing and just stood there, glaring at him. For a moment, he wondered if it would tell him to knock before entering or whatever but the Guardian just kept staring... and staring... and staring... and his eyes narrowed, his expression cold. This was very awkward to say the least.

"Hi?" tried the crimson Reploid tentatively, attempting to salvage the situation.

"What? You want something?" the reply was sudden, dry, the tone flat.

"Just looking around." he replied, getting the feeling that he wouldn't be friends with that particular agent.

"Well look elsewhere please!"

Zero didn't argue. He walked out of the room and went on to check the next room...

Wait a second here. Why is it so silent all of a sudden?

The crimson Reploid looked around him. All around him, he saw the various Guardians, all standing there, just staring. It made Zero feel a bit awkward, reminding him of Area Zero. He could remember how the humans there, due to their bad experiences with Reploids, had just stared at him, some in confusion, some in anger, not sure how to react. Zero rolled his eyes for a moment. He had hoped not to have that experience repeated.

But as he looked at the different people all staring, he suddenly felt a shiver running down his spine. He stared straight into one of the Guardians' eyes. His eyes had narrowed, his gaze sharp, his expression hard and focused. It wasn't an expression of burning anger and yet, it somehow displeased the red Reploid. Looking to a group of two female Guardians, he stared at them more intently... and noticed they had the same exact expression.

Everywhere he looked, he saw the same expression on every face. It wasn't a type of anger he had seen before, a type of confusion or hurtful rage like he had seen in those who had hated him in the past. This expression was far more focused, far more intense. It was some kind of cold fury, shared between all, all focused directly at him and not because he was a Reploid but, somehow, because he was him. For a moment, Zero felt deeply disturbed and found himself unsure what to do next.

Well, he guessed he couldn't just stand there and return the glare. He still wants to finish his tour of the place after all. He moved to the next room and peeked inside. A bit messier than the others, with a familiar shape on the floor. He had found a data disk! Wonder who would let that lie that around?

He walked into the room, grabbing it and looking at it. Only a music disk, probably from someone who liked to listen to music during breaks or what not. He put it on a nearby shelf and decided to check one of the drawers. Well, check the drawer itself, not what's inside of course.

Well, it was a drawer, alright. He nodded to himself and turned back to the entrance to leave.

Since when is there a girl standing in the door frame? Why is she staring at him like she's worried or something?

"There's nothing of value in there." Her tone was plaintive.

He looked back at the data disk. He guessed that it was a bit weird, walking into rooms and shuffling people's stuff around. Still, he had done this for ages and it had never been a big deal. Still, he guessed that it might indeed seem a bit rude. But... to tell him there is nothing of value? He had been told he was nosy, that he was curious in the bad way, and others had even kicked him out yelling at him but that reaction wasn't exactly something he had expected.

"There is nothing that might interest you in here, I promise." Then there was her tone. Sure, he had made a few people mad before but this kind of plaintive tone wasn't what he had expected. And nothing of interest to him what?

"My apologies. I was just looking around. I'll be on my way."

But as he went to leave, she remained in his way, shaking her head.

"I swear that there is nothing for you in here. Nothing you'd find good or anything."

That was starting to feel really awkward. "Look, I'm sorry about that. Please let me pass."

"Please mister R-... mister. I got nothing of value, I swear. All I got is just a few trinkets of personal value..."

And it was then that it clicked and then, it began to feel really, really awkward if not outright embarrassing and creepy.

"Look. I don't know what you thought I was doing but all I was doing was-"

She didn't let him finish. "I don't have any money either. Please leave."

Zero could feel annoyance rise but as he glared at the girl and saw her expression, another feeling rose. For a moment, it didn't really register but as he looked more intently, his heart sunk. He stepped back, shaking his head.

"Look, I'm not a thief. I'm sorry I checked your room in the first place. Now, can you make way? You're standing in the way..."

The Guardian paused for a moment and then reluctantly stepped to the side, finally allowing the red Reploid to walk out. As he stepped outside, he couldn't help but sigh in relief. That had been very... awkward to say the least. Guess he will not walk into that room from now on. He made his way to the next room, hoping that he wouldn't run into such a situation again.

As the door slid open, he peeked inside but as he took a step in, he suddenly felt someone grab his shoulder and tug into him. The red Reploid spun around to face a tall Guardian.

"Leave us alone Maverick! We have nothing for you to steal!"

Zero blinked a few times. But before he could properly understand what was going on, he looked around, noticing that the various Guardians had approached slightly and now all stared. Their expressions had not changed, their faces unmoving. He slowly looked to the tall Guardian, obviously trying to act tough by grabbing him, thinking he could somehow protect everyone this way or something.

On one hand, he was tempted to dismiss the whole situation. You cannot force someone not to hate you, time has to be given. At Area Zero, he had quickly understood that people saw him a different way and that he couldn't force them to see him any other way so he had let it slide and continued. He had other, more important things to do than argue. That was back then. Unfortunately, although he wanted to act the same way, he was not sure he could.

There is an enemy out there, a powerful one. Prairie thinks that Serpent is the mastermind but there is someone out there, someone who created Model W and has unleashed it upon the world. As powerful as he may be, Zero knows very well that he cannot stop this enemy alone and the Guardians are the successors of his old allies, the organization fighting for the protection of this world.

And yet... they stand here, staring at him, fearing him, hating him. He saved their lives and yet, they hate him and despise him, only accepting his help because they're forced to. He didn't need them to say it, the screaming hatred on their faces was just too obvious and loud. And in a way, it disturbed him.

As he stared at the face of the tall Guardian, he decided he wouldn't just sit there and take it like this.

He quickly moved, breaking free of the Guardian's grip and stood before all of the gathered Guardians. "What are you thinking? Really, what are you thinking?"

"What are we thinking? You're barging into our quarters, shuffling through our belongings! Prairie tolerating on the ship does not give you the right to rob us!"

Zero was not going to take that kind of accusation. "Because you think I'd waste my time robbing people? You think I saved you all, exposed myself to all of you, and risked life and limb only to rob you? I was just looking around, wishing to meet the people I'm going to work with in the following months!"

There was a silence for a moment. The red Reploid knew it was a matter of time before someone proclaimed their discontentment or hatred and he was not going to endure that. So he turned to the tall Reploid, offering to shake hands.

"My name is Zero. You are?"

The Guardian stared at his hand for a moment. "You are the Red Demon."

He placed his hands behind his back, stepping back. It was a deliberate slight but Zero decided to ignore it. "Now, am I allowed to take a tour of the ship?"

Yet more glaring. This was starting to be repetitive. Likewise, he didn't get an answer, the various agents all walking away, going back to whatever they were doing or saying before although they kept shooting glances at him, never taking their eyes away, their expressions never changing.

Zero rolled his eyes and continued his tour. He had a feeling that he a lot of work ahead of him... and not just in terms of beating up stuff.

* * *

Fleuve's eyes darted from left to right and then back constantly as the data continued to scroll. Although much of the data on Model X and Model Z was encrypted, what little could be deciphered was amazing in its own right. But what was even more amazing was the data that Prairie's mysterious contact had sent them. He had no idea how in the history of forever that person had obtained the required password and encryption keys to decode the data locks on the Biometals but it was obviously the real deal, the amount of data more than tripling compared to his first analysis.

The implications were tremendous and even more interesting was that the data on the Biometal's self-analysis and transformation records had been unlocked. The way the two fragments had interacted to create 'Mega Man ZX' was absolutely amazing. Even better, the two Biometals had somehow taken their own conclusions from the fusion and Model X had already elaborated on its data taken from merging with Aile to create a theoretical model upon which to base itself for a future Mega Man ZX transformation with her. And judging by the model, the two Biometals had improved the technique and as such, Aile's merged state would be better formed, lacking some of Vent's oddities yet not all of them.

Of course, all of this data on its own was not very useful if he didn't do anything with it. Looking at the data, he could already come up with many uses but...

Fleuve's concentration was broken as the door slid open. He glanced at the entrance to the data room only to see Prairie walk in. She still looked a bit embarrassed and shocked from what had happened earlier...

"Oh, hi Prairie. Is there something I can do for you?"

The Guardian commander stepped forward, approaching the console and looking carefully at the data. Fleuve doubted that she could actually understand what was displayed on the screen but her interest seemed genuine so he appreciated the gesture. Always good to see someone who could appreciate his work.

"I take it that research on the Biometal is progressing smoothly, right?"

He nodded proudly. "Yes. The data obtained from the Model ZX fusion process as well as the encryption keys given by our newfound ally has helped decode much of the data that was previously useless. The possibilities of Biometal are astounding to say the least and I am not talking about the fragments themselves. Many of the processes used during the MegaMerging process could also be used to improve many of the systems in our equipment. Better use of storage space, new types of crates for transport, better energetic distribution and concentration systems, and also systems that might of use to get through electronic interferences and defeat jamming attempts. There is one process used by the Biometal that interest me, the beam generation one. I believe it could be used-"

Prairie smiled sadly. She could see where he was getting to. "I'm sorry but I will not condone this type of measure, Fleuve."

The mechanic spun his seat so that he was facing his commander proper. He grabbed into his yellow visor and raised it, looking at her through his goggles. He knew it was a lost cause but he felt that he should try... no, that he must try. So he guessed that he should begin by making her realize the situation in which they're in.

"You seem a bit tired. Please, take a seat. There's not really any experiment going on apart from the data analysis you asked of me so you're not really bothering me."

The pink-wearing girl turned away and slowly grabbed into one of the chairs in the corner before deploying it near the tinier Guardian. He waited until the commander was comfortably seated and then continued.

"It's about the Red Demon and our new mysterious ally, isn't it?"

Prairie's expression as she seemed to withdraw confirmed that his suspicion was correct.

"Our agents are not exactly at their peak, morale-wise. We got hammered pretty bad on that highway and although everyone is motivated, the prospect of fighting the Slither Inc. isn't making many people happy. They got some serious firepower at their disposal and with the performance of our forces on the highway..."

"I'm not condoning this course of action. Stop it, Fleuve." Her tone was determined.

The mechanic sighed, scratching the back of his head for a second. "Look, Prairie. I hate it, you hate it, we all hate it but we got to look at the data with both eyes open. Our current weaponry just didn't cut it down there. The Mavericks..."

"Fleuve, my orders and lines of directive still stand." she interrupted again, her tone not rising.

It was her turn to grow a little nervous about the issue. She knew when she entered that Fleuve, like everyone else, would be affected by what happened at the highway but she needed to keep things under control and the first thing to do was to enforce the directives.

"The Guardians were founded by Sis to protect our world from threats such as the Mavericks. To accomplish our mission, we have become a legal security force organization recognized by Legion and authorized by the law to use lethal force if needed. However, you must remember that our primary mission is the protection of the people, to drive off the Mavericks and keep the world safe as well as identify sources of Maverick outbreaks. But we both know that this figure, whoever it was, was right. Not all Mavericks are created by Model W. Many of them are minor outlaws and some are even merely innocents who live outside of Legion's influence."

She shook her head. "I will not, I cannot allow the Guardians to become like Neo Arcadia was, centuries ago. We will not carry on witch hunts, seeking out all those who do not obey Legion's standards and burn their homes and wreck their families. The mission of the Guardians is to promote and protect peace, not spark war."

Prairie stared at Fleuve as he lowered his gaze, shaking his head slowly, his forehead pressing against the palm of his right hand. He sighed loudly, tiredly and then looked up at his leader. For a second, Fleuve, usually always calm and relaxed, seemed awfully weary, as if tired.

"Look, I understand the logic and just a week ago, I'd have supported that view but our guys got slaughtered down there, Prairie. You were watching, I was watching, we were all watching. Our agents, our friends died, slaughtered like cattle because they didn't have the equipment necessary to defend themselves."

Prairie's frown didn't please Fleuve at all. He suddenly felt very, very tired, feeling the full weight of his metallic, robotic body. Yet he continued.

"Things are not peaceful out there, Prairie. You said it yourself, we're facing an enemy, not random Maverick outbreaks. And to restore the peace, we need to defeat that enemy. And for that, we need weapons."

Prairie slowly shook her head.

"Serpent is a Maverick, Prairie! Giro's and Vent's Biometals recorded it, our communicators recorded it, we all recorded it. We need to retire him or he'll retire us first."

Prairie closed her eyes and seemed to be in deep thought for a moment and then, she got up. "I... I will think about it."

The mechanic stared at his leader and nodded. "Alright, this is all I am asking for. Now, I'll resume the analysis as you instructed. I will contact you as scheduled."

Prairie got up and left the room. Once she was gone, Fleuve grabbed the chair she had brought near his seat, packed it, and then put it back in the corner with the others. Then, he put his yellow visor back in position, got back to his position, and resumed his analysis...

* * *

Zero sat down, letting the wind blow into his hair as the clouds zoomed past slowly and lazily all around him. His tour was finished and here he was, outside, on the outer deck, alone. What kinds of lands lie below the airship? Were they places he had already visited? Would he visit them soon? And what would be the circumstances?

He knew what was flying over them. Area X had changed a lot in some ways, remained the same in others. The ship was a lot less busy than back when he had served in the Guardians. Gone were the sounds of heavy machinery, the constant movements of equipment, the squads of agents constantly rushing back and forth between their rooms, the storage rooms, the command room, and the transerver pad. The Guardians were a lot more laidback now, not that it was necessarily a bad thing. It was just that everything was now streamlined differently, reducing activity on the main base by assigning movement of heavy equipment to ground teams and transporters. A different method from Ciel's, with its advantages and disadvantages.

He had remained on none of the decks really too long. In every room, he opened the door to find he wasn't welcome and none of the Guardians really had anything to say to him. None of them bothered to introduce themselves to him. He guessed he just had to give them time. After all, they were not used to having a notorious Maverick walk among them casually and act as if he had always been a part of the background. So once he had stopped by all the decks, he decided to relax for a bit. Not surprisingly, as Prairie had just given him authorization to stay on the ship, he didn't have anywhere to go and anyway, he caused unease wherever he was... so he opted to stay here.

At least here, he wouldn't bother anyone and he would be able to meditate on the situation.

After a moment, the door of the elevator connecting the different decks opened.

Finding the Red Demon wasn't difficult at all. Apparently, he was on the outer deck, all by himself, doing who knew what, maybe contacting that mysterious contact of his and making plans, probably sinister ones. Apparently, he had made quite an effect, going through the entire ship as if he owned the place, strangely seeming to know where to go. After he had finally finished snooping around, he had left for the outer deck where he remained for the moment being. The other Guardians had told Aile to leave him alone and Vent had been too busy checking on Fleuve, wishing to know about the Biometal, to care.

Still, questions haunted her mind. Girouette's death had been a big shock and she wasn't sure how to react yet. Prairie had told her to be strong and seeing Vent, she guessed she had to be strong. Panicking would solve nothing. But the Red Demon...

As she stepped out of the elevator and outside, she felt the wind. The ship wasn't travelling especially fast so it was safe on the outer deck but it was still a bit cold. The Red Demon couldn't be more noticeable, sitting there, staring into the distance. For a moment, a hint of curiosity rose within the teen's mind. No one had ever seen the Red Demon when he wasn't killing people. All of the footages of him and all of the encounters had been of him either fighting something or running away from the authorities. And after seeing him cut his way through so many Mavericks on the highway, Aile found it almost unbelievable how calm he looked, just sitting there.

As she approached him, he didn't turn around or react in any visible way despite the fact that due to her being the only one on the deck alongside him, it was impossible for him to fail to notice her arriving. She tentatively, hesitatingly approached, stopping a few steps away from him. He still didn't react, just watching the clouds...

"So... are you the Red Demon?"

For a moment, it seemed like the red Reploid had noticed the question but slowly, he glanced and saw the transporter, standing behind him, watching him. He turned back to the sky for a moment.

"Yeah. I am."

This was awkward. She had so many questions rising in her mind, so many doubts yet, there was also this temptation just to leave him there. What would it change? Why bother? But then, she remembered what the figure had said. It seemed unbelievable and yet Prairie had gone with it so easily...

"Is it true that you are a Maverick?"

There was another pause before she got a reply.

"Yeah."

"Then why do you help us?"

He glanced at Aile again, this time his gaze locking into her. He stared for a long time, not moving, not blinking. And this time, he did not look away when he replied.

"Did you know that the definition of the word Maverick changed?"

To see him suddenly come out and ask her a question caught the teen by surprise. "What do you mean?"

The Red Demon stared into the sky, as if remembering something... "In the beginning, being a Maverick was a defect. It was a problem in the brains of Reploids that made them go berserk. Then... it became a virus that consumed people, turning them mad. And then... it became a label used by leaders to judge those living outside the law. It changed constantly through history but one thing never, ever did change..."

He turned to face her, as if expecting her to complete his explanation for him. And then, as she noticed and was about to speak up, he finished it.

"Mavericks kill people as people kill Mavericks."

The Red Demon stood up. "You are wondering why I am helping you. Girouette... you were close to him. He was a father figure to you."

Aile blinked a few times. "How... how did you..."

"He told me." he said, answering her question before she completed it. "Girouette... I did not hate him and he... did not hate me. He fought for Prairie, for Vent, for you... he gave his life for you. And this is why I will fight for Prairie, for Vent, for you."

The teen stared at the red Reploid. He stood before her, calm, his gaze determined. He was always cold, always determined, his voice always inflexible. He had always been in all of the footages, in all of the records. She had thought it was because he was a Maverick, because he could not feel. Had they really been... friends?

"Do you have a name? I mean... a name other than what everyone calls you?"

"So 'Red Demon' isn't suitable for you. Fine then..." he said, turning his back to her. For a moment, she thought she had upset him but he glanced back at her... "People used to call me 'Zero', a very long time ago. I'd like to hear this name again... but it's your choice ultimately. Call me what you will."

The teen nodded. "Alright, thanks."

She began to walk away. He stared as she walked back toward the inside of the ship, thoughts stirring. Had she understood what he had said, did she care? It was so early and he did not expect much. It didn't matter now. But then, the Guardians couldn't hate him forever. Regardless of the label he had, he would help them. Ciel believed in the Biometal's power and in the ability of the Guardians to rise to this new challenge. If he didn't believe, then why would he be here?

This was only the opening move by the enemy. Soon, the determination of Vent and Aile shall be tested in fire as well as the Guardians' resolve... but they will not be alone. This is his fight too and eventually, they will realize it.

But for now... he sat down again and relaxed. He still had a hour or two before Ciel completed her analysis...

* * *

Prairie was currently scratching her head, staring at the screen. The analysis had not given her as many leads as she would have liked. Still, she guessed it would have to do.

Aile, Vent, and that weird Red Demon were all standing in the command room, watching the Guardian commander, waiting for her to speak up. The Red Demon's mysterious master was undoubtedly watching, patiently waiting like all of the others for her to give directions. To be fair, she wasn't exactly sure about this but then, after her analysis and discussing with the Red Demon's master, it looked like the best course of action.

"Thank you for coming quickly. The first course of action will be to discover what is this 'Project Haven' that Serpent spoke of. Considering that he mentioned it would affect all people in the country, there is no doubt that it will be something on a large scale and as such, require equally large facilities, whatever it may be. While searching the various databases, I have discovered an interesting little area in Innerpeace's outer sectors, just outside the residential district."

Prairie spun her seat back toward her console and typed a few things. On the main display hologram, the image of a large-scale power plant was shown, in one of the older districts of the city. She turned back to the transporters and the red Reploid.

"This facility is one of the largest owned by the Slither Inc. It was acquired a long time ago after a Maverick raid convinced the old owners to get rid of it. There is however something fishy with it. Despite its size, it produces only enough energy to supply the sector in which it is located."

The Red Demon seemed to be guessing where she was getting but the two teens seemed lost so she continued.

"It doesn't make sense for such a large facility to have such a low power output. The Ciel System is extremely efficient and even older systems have a better output than this. However, this power plant is much older than it seems and if it is using obsolete technology to produce energy... then the low output of power is perfectly logical."

It was then that the two understood.

"What use would Serpent have for an obsolete power plant?" asked herself aloud Aile.

"Well, it is up to you to find out." said Prairie.

And at this moment, the teen found herself with everyone's eyes on her...

"I have filled forms in order to launch an official investigation of the power plant. As a security force, we are authorized to carry out such operations. However, the Slither Inc. has blocked our request, denying us authorization to investigate. It's very fishy overall. And this is where you come in. Aile?"

The female transporter straightened herself. "Yes?"

"I want you to go to that area and investigate the plant, find out what Slither Inc. is doing with it. If we show up in person and that you call upon your authority as a new member of the Guardians, they should allow you in."

"And what if they kick her out?" Vent asked.

"I'm sure they won't." replied Prairie confidently. For some reason Zero had the feeling it wouldn't be that easy.

He looked at the teen. Although she seemed a bit surprised to be chosen for the mission, her eyes quickly hardened with determination. Although she hadn't been as vocal as Vent, she was determined to finish what Girouette had begun just much as him. Watching her begin to walk toward the door, he approached Vent and then elbowed him in the side weakly. As the transporter glared at him angrily, the red Reploid pointed at the teen and he quickly understood.

As Aile left with Model X and Model Z in her pockets, Zero noticed that the Guardian commander was now staring at him.

"I guess you are leaving."

The red Reploid nodded. Vent's eyes narrowed though and he stared angrily at the red figure as it began to walk out. The teen was silent as the Red Demon walked past, saying nothing. As the door slid open, realizing that he was just going to ignore him, Vent stopped the Maverick in his tracks.

"So you're just leaving? Some help you are."

For a second, Zero wondered whenever to reply to that or not. After all, now that Ciel and Prairie discussed and set things up for the next course of action, he was no longer needed in here and with that last Maverick attack, it would be safer if Ciel abandoned the current hideout and relocated elsewhere. After all, the Mavericks had most notably noticed his contribution to the battle at the highway and would most likely try to prevent him from intervening again by finding the source of his mobility and destroying it.

Still... the fact remained that Vent couldn't just glare at him all day like this. He turned to him.

"You said you were going to protect everyone. What do you plan to do?"

"Well, I will..." Vent stopped himself mid-reply, slowly realizing a simple but very important fact. Having just handed out Model X and Model Z to Aile for her mission, it meant he had given up upon his own ability to fight.

The teen's determination quickly faded, leaving him to lower his head, staring at his feet.

"You can't be everywhere, fighting everyone. Ask your friend." And with that said, Zero left the room.

"Hey! What was that supposed to mean?" Unfortunately for the teen, the red Reploid had already left and the door remained silent.

* * *

It was a strange feeling to be sure and a bit ironic now that he had calmed down and had finally got some time to think about it. The television in front of him was a crude contraption, a haphazard collection of wires and circuitry connected to an obsolete technology cathode ray tube. Compared with the ultra-flat and holographic projectors, it was a machine right out of prehistory, a very simplistic machine built in-between missions in the middle of a break when he had wished to get himself a working television but didn't wish to bother Ciel about it. To be fair, the image quality was horrible but with his status as a Maverick, he couldn't just go out and buy a TV that easily.

Those thoughts made him look around the room. He didn't mind the conditions in which the temporary base was, quite frankly. In a way, it made him think of the old days, back when he had awakened, during the days of the first Resistance base in those city ruins. In a way, this place was similar. A forgotten, ruined bunker in a devastated city that no one had bothered to rebuild, near Innerpeace. No one had lived here in over three hundred years and every piece of technology worth anything had been plundered ages ago, leaving it as the ultimate hiding place, no Maverick ever stepping anywhere near it.

It was in this place, covered in dust, surrounded by cracked walls that had not seen new paint in dozens of years, that he and Ciel had spent the last few months monitoring the Guardians' progress. Ciel had reinforced the walls a little bit and installed a crude electricity system, lamps hanging here and there from the ceiling. He had ferried furniture from abandoned apartments back into here as well as materials for their equipment's maintenance. Of course, they'd soon leave, they never stayed at the same location more than six months but still, he couldn't help but feel at home.

And that was something that made him think for a moment. Why did he feel this way when he had spent over fifty years on the Area X a century ago, back when Ciel led the Guardians officially? Back then, he had felt at home on the Area X too... but not anymore. Something had changed and he guessed that it had more to do than merely Prairie's modifications.

Zero stared at the makeshift television, relaxing into the large couch. Ciel had laughed for a hour after he had brought it back and kept giggling for days every time she witnessed it. Frankly, he wondered why she made such a big deal of it. Yes, the thing is bright magenta with dark green polka dots but it's comfortable so who cares? Considering the stupidities that the Sages spouted on the news channels and how they needed to put up with it, he guessed he might as well be comfortable.

He thought about how what had happened on Area X and what it could mean, ignoring Master Albert's newest speech on the television.

He was brought of his thoughts as he heard the door to his room slide open. He didn't need to glance back at it to know that it was Ciel.

There was a short pause as the blonde woman remained in the door frame, simply watching the Reploid. There was a brief moment during which neither moved, Zero remaining motionless, his gaze not moving from the crude television as Ciel watched him. Then, he reached to the remote Ciel had crafted for it and used it to shut down the contraption, glancing at the scientist as she still remained in the door frame.

"You didn't come here only to watch me watch TV." said the crimson Reploid, breaking the silence.

"You weren't really listening to Master Albert's latest rant." she replied.

Zero got up, briefly stretching his legs before turning to face Ciel. "Anything I missed while on Area X?"

The woman nodded in response. "I looked over Prairie's records of Giro's progress during that... particular mission. Serpent claimed that he had obtained all of the passwords."

Zero's expression became serious. He knew exactly what that meant. Ciel continued.

"Even with the passwords, Serpent will not be able to access the Ragnarok Core vault without the Model X and Z Biometals. Still, it would be best if you went to the vault to make sure no Slither Inc. forces are in the area, if only to misdirect Serpent and make him believe he truly can access the vault at the moment."

"So you also believe that he's going to try and wake the Model W Core..." guessed Zero.

"There's nothing else the passwords could be useful for. Still, I'm worried about what he'd want the Model W Core for. With the Model W fragment, he can already MegaMerge and the Model W Core wouldn't really allow him to assume a better form. In fact, it would probably just accelerate his mental degeneration more than anything else. Unless..."

"Unless we are missing the big picture here. Serpent knows something that we don't."

He had guessed right again, Ciel nodding before continuing. "This might be an important clue regarding the true enemy as well as the true function of the Model W Biometal. I am also worried about Prometheus and Pandora. They sounded suspicious and the radiations detected by Giro's sensors seemed to indicate that they might not be what they appeared to be."

The red Reploid thought about it for a moment. He hadn't been there physically but they had suspected that Serpent's bodyguards might be more than they appear for a long time. The way they moved, the confidence in their voices, their attitude... everything about them was giving Zero very bad feelings.

"Alright, I'll get ready for my next mission." As he said that, he stared at the woman.

Noticing that he wasn't moving, Ciel remained there as well. After a short while, seeing that she wasn't getting it, he went ahead and asked her directly.

"You're not going to ask me about how it went on Area X?"

Hearing about that, the scientist shook her head before looking away briefly. "No. If you don't want to talk about it, I guess it is okay. Besides, I saw everything."

She looked back at him... "Still, if you need to talk about it, please don't hesitate. If you need me, I'll be there for you. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone."

"I know. It's truly okay though, I understand why they don't like me. They'll understand eventually, they have to. It's just too early, that is all."

For some reason, Ciel smiled at that last one. She tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms. "I know. Still, I say that it would help if you lost your kleptomaniac tendencies."

Zero looked away for a second, his face turning a color not unlike his armor, scratching the back of his head. He usually didn't think about it that way but having Ciel mock him for it kind of made it sting.

"Err... well, it's not really this way. I'm not really interested in their stuff. I'm just curious, that is all."

"Just watch it." She hadn't lost her smile, her tone more mocking than really angry. "Not everyone likes to see armored Reploids armed to the teeth barge randomly in their room."

What could he reply to that? So he just stood there, returning her smile. Maybe she had a point, when he thought about it. But well, what was done was done. Seemingly satisfied, Ciel left quickly, probably heading to the command room to prepare things for his departure.

Now that left a rather vital question. Where did he leave his Z-Saber? He 's convinced he left on that table when he entered the room...

* * *

"How does that thing works, again?" Aile asked herself aloud only to have Model X's voice nearly startle her, coming from her pocket.

"Push the blue button on it."

She did just that and to her satisfaction, it came online. Good, now she can get things started. "One two one two, test test. Prairie, are you receiving?"

"This is Prairie, what's your status Aile?"

The teen smiled to herself. Seems it's working after all. "I'm in front of the Slither Inc. power plant. You got some kind of camera installed on the communicator, right? Am I at the right location?"

Aile held her wrist in a way that she thought that the communicator's camera would show what was in front of her.

She was rather unsure if it was the right place, to say the truth. Compared to the lavish head office in the center of Innerpeace, this power plant was a sight right out of prehistory with its ugly metal wire fences, external turbines, the large strips of cement for trucks that had not been used in ages, and the massive, square, ugly grey building complex sprawling horizontally rather than vertically. If it wasn't from the fact that it was kept clean and the front gate had the Slither Inc. logo on it, she would have confused it for a ruin.

"Yes, this is the place. Good luck Aile, Prairie out."

So this was the power plant? What use could Serpent find for such an ugly structure? Well, she guessed she was about to find out. Approaching the main gate, she grabbed into it and pushed it. It wasn't locked and all she had to do was walk in.

Walking around, she couldn't help but look around and be a bit creeped out. She instinctively thrust her hands into her pockets, reaching for Model X and Model Z when she heard the sounds of moving machinery but as the worker drone emerged from behind one of the various turbines, she let go of the Biometals.

She hated those things. Massive and somewhat spider-like with their eight articulated legs, worker drones were the mainstay of industries all around the world. Non-sentient, obedient, and cost-effective, worker drones didn't ask for paychecks and tirelessly and thanklessly performed the various tasks that were deemed unsafe and unfit even for lowly Galleons. Still, as useful as drones may be, the fact that they were massive mechanical spiders that were as wide as she is tall didn't help her feel secure.

Thankfully, the drone ignored her and had emerged from behind the turbine only to scuttle its way toward a turbine behind her, climbing it quickly before stopping on top of it, checking its conditions and performing whatever maintenance was needed on it.

It didn't take long for her to reach the front door, where a bunch of Galleon Hunters were standing, staring into the distance and not noticed she had even approached. She wondered why for a moment, not suspecting that the reason was that they were bored to such an extend that they were nearly in a state of catatonia. Thankfully for them and unfortunately for Aile, a teenage girl in bright blue clothing waltzing right up to their front door kind of allowed them to actually regain hold of their bored minds and focus on their job.

"Stop right there! This is private property belonging to Slither Inc. State your business."

Aile straightened herself and cleared her throat. Although she had repeated the speech she was supposed to give out all the way during the journey, it still took her a short while to remember everything.

"I'm Aile and I'm a member of the Guardians, a security force approved and authorized by Legion. As such, I am authorized to investigate this power plant and check for Maverick-related activities within."

The two Galleon Hunters turned to each others, the two of them not saying a word. Then, they turned back to Aile and for a moment, she thought they were going to open the door.

"Is that so? Please show us your mandate."

"If you truly have an official authorization, then this is only routine. Show us the mandate." added the second one.

Aile found herself not sure what to say. Prairie had told her it wouldn't happen, that if she showed up in person they would let her in. Now what?

"Errr... wait a moment, please."

She stepped away from the two Galleons and turned her back to them, activating the communicator. "Prairie!" she whispered, hoping the two robots wouldn't hear her. "They're asking for a mandate! What do I do?"

Aile thought that she heard Prairie swear but dismissed the thought. She probably just sighed or something like that.

"I don't understand. They do understand that you are a Guardian, right?"

She shutdown the communicator and turned back to the Galleons. "Err... well, I am an official member of the Guardians. I should be authorized to pass, right?"

One of the two Galleons shrugged while the other one seemed like he would have rolled his eyes if he had eyes.

"Look, lady. You are a Guardian, we get that already. However, if you do not have a mandate, you are trespassing on private property in an illegal manner and security force member or not, we are authorized by the law to kick you out. Time is money so just show us your mandate or we will kick you out."

That hadn't worked. Again, the teen turned away and activated her communicator. "What do I do? They're adamant on not letting me pass!"

"Tell them you'll sue them if they don't let you pass."

Again, she turned to the two guards. "If you don't let me pass, we'll sue you for blocking an investigation!"

This time, the two Galleons moved... but rather than move to grab the door, they moved to grab her. Aile suddenly found herself with her feet no longer touching the ground as the Galleons lifted her, each one holding her by one shoulder.

"Sorry miss but as you have no mandate, we will have to kick you out." said the first one.

"Besides, we're inviting you to try. Without an official OK from Legion, Lord Serpent will stomp you in court!"

Aile outright began to panic as the two started to carry her back to the entrance. "W-WAIT!"

She tried to grab her Biometals but with the two robots holding her in such a way, she couldn't reach for her pockets. Once they made it to the entrance, she heard steps as the Galleon to her right shifted his position, still holding into her shoulder but now placing himself behind her instead of on her side...

BAM!

"YEEEO-"

BOM!

Aile landed face-first on the road in front of the front gate, a boot-shaped mark now clearly visible on her shorts as the Galleons had literally kicked her out. The two robots stared at her for a second before nodding to themselves.

"And please do not return unless you get a mandate!"

The Galleons slammed the door shut before walking back to their posts, leaving Aile quite dizzy on the ground. Prairie, who had seen everything from her own side, felt mighty embarrassed as did everyone back on the Area X.

As the transporter got back on her feet, brushing herself off and recovering from what had happened, she activated her communicator again.

"Are... are you alright Aile?"

"Yeah." she replied. She thought for a second and then figured that yes, she was indeed alright. "Yeah. A bit shaken but otherwise, I'm okay. So what do I do next?"

There was an uneasy pause and then, Prairie spoke up. "We're aborting the mission. It seems that without a mandate, we cannot get in. We'll have to find another way in..."

So that was it? She was giving up already? Aile turned back to the power plant, looking through the fence. She could see those two stupid Galleons back at their posts, staring mindlessly into the distance. That was it? Two common Galleons and just low-ranked Hunter-class ones at that are going to keep her and the Guardians out? They were just Galleons, common robotic drones that were mere fodder for her to destroy using...

Wait! That's it!

"I won't give up yet, Prairie. I think I got a way in."

"Wait, Aile! What do you think yo-" Aile ended the communication before Prairie could complete her sentence.

So those Galleons think they're gonna keep her out, hmmmm? Well, she shall see about that!

* * *

To say the truth, Prairie had expected things not to go well. Sending Aile in person had been a desesperate tactic, one that she knew had only a slim chance of working. If the Slither Inc. had refused when she had taken the time to fill the forms and apply for authorization to carry out an official investigation, then it was very probable that they wouldn't be any more cooperative if an agent shown up directly at the power plant. Still, Prairie had tried out the move, hoping things would work out.

At first, everyone had been silent, holding their breath as they watched Aile's progress. Somehow, the Slither Inc. had not kicked her out right away once she got on the site and had allowed her to get to the front door. Likewise, the Galleons had been polite enough not to yell at her or to grab into her. Everyone's hopes had sunk instantly once the two had mentioned a mandate though. Prairie had thought quickly, trying to salvage the situation but it hadn't helped and after a short conversation, they kicked Aile out, literally at that.

Well, back to square one. It was time to resort to serious methods, ones she had hoped not to use. She would now contact Legion directly and petition the Sages for an official investigation of Slither Inc.'s operations. It would take a very long time and require of them to hand out the information and records they had gained about Serpent's activities, busting any chances of getting a surprise effect upon him and his officers.

Still, Prairie saw no other way. Serpent was too respected, the Slither Inc. regarded too highly. If the Guardians barged into their installations head on without an authorization, the entire organization would be branded as Mavericks and considering the odds they are up against, being branded as Mavericks is the last thing they need.

"I won't give up yet, Prairie. I think I got a way in."

Wait what? What does Aile think she is doing? They need to think this out! "Wait, Aile! What do you think yo-"

Prairie was about to finish her sentence when the primary holographic displays in the command room shown very clearly that the connection had been cut, the transporter ending the conversation right away. What was she thinking? How would she get inside of the-

The primary screen on the holographic display was knocked offline for a second as the amount of light overloaded the sensors but the tracking device on Aile was very efficient and quickly went back online... showing the teen now covered in red armor, the design identical to Vent's transformation back on the highway, her hair now transformed into a blonde, long ponytail not unlike the Red Demon's.

Why had Aile transformed into using both Model X and Z? There were no enemies around her that could guarantee...

Then Aile kicked the gate open and everyone in the command room turned pale. She isn't foolish enough to try what everyone think she's going to attempt, isn't she?

Well, it seemed she was as she confidently walked toward the two Galleons, still transformed.

* * *

"We already told you, you may not..." the guard trailed off as his optical sensor detected the person approaching.

Red armor, Z-Saber in hand, long blonde ponytail, and a murderous expression on its face. According to the Galleon's memory banks, the figure approaching them was matching the profile of the Red Demon. Sure, it was a lot more girly than usual for some odd reason, its Z-Saber hilt looked a bit different, and there were oddities with its armor at a few places but the similarities were just too great to be a coincidence.

It also registered that he was a mere Galleon Hunter, that the only other battle-ready unit nearby was his equally pitiful partner, and that the Red Demon was a Class S threat. The Galleon Hunter found itself surprised when its own thoughts concentrated upon the fact that he was too young to die rather than on arming his Buster and pointing it at the rapidly approaching Maverick. Still, unfortunately for his survival chances, he had been programmed to perform his duties and lacked the free will to run away screaming like a girl, no matter how tempting the second option might be.

As the two Galleon Hunters pointed their right arm at the Maverick and transformed it into a Buster cannon, the Maverick accelerated, leaning forward as it dashed at a great speed. The two Galleons aimed carefully, attempting to put all three shots of their salvo in the chest of the approaching enemy but their aim was inadequate to catch a dashing Mega Man and each shot slammed harmlessly into the floor. A second later, the Maverick made it in melee range and swung its energy sword upward, from the left side of the Galleon's waist up to the right shoulder. Split in two, the Galleon's upper body slid off in a shower of artificial blood. Paralyzed by the lethal hit, both halves stopped functioning quickly enough, death claiming the Galleon.

The remaining guard finished recharging its Buster and was about to fire a second salvo when the Maverick jumped toward it, shoving the energy blade straight through its optical sensor. Its death was mercifully quick, far more than the first Galleon's, the sword vaporizing most of the Galleon's electric brain as it passed through its skull. The Maverick then kicked into the Galleon's chest, pulling the blade out and swinging it in front of itself, shaking off the blood covering it.

With the guards dead, Aile kicked into the front door of the power plant. The alarm was instantly triggered, a loud wailing filling the area and red lamps activating. Satisfied, Aile walked inside the power plant.

* * *

Frankly? He didn't care much if his job was probably the most important in all of Slither Inc., the truth was that this was probably the least glamorous, most dreadfully boring task in all of the company. Even having to deal with that idiot Maverick, Purprill, was better than what he had to do.

Hivolt sighed so loudly it almost blew the five piles of forms and reports off of his desk. Thankfully, it didn't. If it had, he would have had to waste another afternoon putting them back on his desk and organizing the piles. Sure, it was vital for the safety of Project Haven that the records be kept on paper, as paper reports cannot be downloaded by hackers and Legion security officers. It didn't change the fact that Hivolt understood why people had stopped used paper for paperwork ages ago. If regular paperwork was dreadful, then dealing with paperwork involving actual paper was even worse.

It didn't help that things had been going down the gutter lately. Serpent had done a great show of firing Giga Aspis for letting that huge Maverick force get into Innerpeace and then dispatching the grand general Protectos himself to deal with it but the truth was that Giga Aspis's force had been devastated by the red and blue Mega Men, leaving the whole of the jungle area unprotected from Maverick attack. Someone would have to take this sector under his or her responsibility, on top of their own usual duties, and then take enough troops from their reserves to clean up and make that sector safe again. Then, they'd have to rebuild the base there and establish a new permanent patrol route, probably promote a few employees to act as leaders until a new officer could be named to take care of the area.

Then there was the Maverick uprising itself. It was all nice and good that Serpent had sent Protectos to deal with the main assault but the truth was that Protectos was already busy sending expeditions for the primary harvests for Project Haven and dealing with the Maverick air fleet to the north. Protectos just didn't have the personnel to fully and correctly secure the residential areas and then harvest their casualties for Project Haven. Fistleo had been dispatched to rescue the civilians and send the Guardians relief in that area but apparently, the Guardians had vacated the area the second Protectos had arrived. Typical of the Guardians, really. Acting all high and mighty and then leaving the Slither Inc. to clean up when things got rough. Of course, it shouldn't have mattered but as usual, Fistleo proved why he wasn't higher ranked despite his combat capabilities as he found himself more interested in picking off pointless fights with individual Mavericks than actually leading his troops into eliminating the Maverick presence.

All of this meant that the plans were not going well. In a way, it was good that he was in charge of the main energy plant. He didn't have to worry about all this non-sense. On another hand, this now meant that there was a shortage of materials for both his official and his true duties. And no amount of Biometal grafted into his body could help with that sort of problem.

Getting up from his seat, Hivolt wondered once again what he had been thinking that stormy day when he accepted that job for the Slither Inc. before he got out of his office. It was only a short walk to the main cafeteria where the coffee machine was and he barely looked where he was going as he walked. Why should he? Considering the constant movements between his office, the coffee machine, and that old antenna outside, he knew the path so well that he could do it blind by now and no employee ever went this way anyway.

Grumbling to himself as he parked his frame in front of the old, antique coffee machine, he watched as the machine slowly filled his cup with the black liquid he so desesperately needed to keep himself awake despite the boredom. For a moment, he wondered how Reploids in the past used to stay awake doing such donkeywork when they were unable to process caffeine in their bodies. Bah, burdened as he is under work, he'll probably never know.

The cup full, he walked slowly back toward his office before sitting back into his seat. He quickly took a sip of the hot liquid and grimaced.

Just as he had guessed, the newest budget cut had affected the quality of the coffee, replacing the high quality vintage coffee he insisted on with a generic brand. Not only that but it was scalding hot and despite being made of metal, he felt his mouth burn from the extreme heat. Bah! Getting good coffee nowadays is just impossible and so is getting a decent coffee machine.

It was then that his computer came to life, one of the indicators glowing red. He quickly pressed one particular button and spoke up, his tone irritated.

"Hivolt here. What is it?"

"Sir, we had a Guardian agent show up a few seconds ago. Wanted to investigate the plant for suspected Maverick activities."

Despite having wings for arms, Hivolt facepalmed, groaning loudly. But then, considering his wings were articulated enough to allow him to manipulate cups of coffee and computer keyboards, that last gesture wasn't too surprising.

Horrible paperwork, horrible coffee, and now the Guardians are getting paranoid. Just what he needed. "You kicked it out, right?"

"It didn't have a mandate so yes, we did."

Well at least, his minions weren't completely incompetent. "Good. Fill a report about it later."

He cut the communication. He was in no mood to receive a complete report right now, especially not after nearly burning his mouth with horrible-tasting lava posing as coffee.

It was then that the alarm lamps on the walls lit up like disco balls, the deafening alarm startling the Pseudoroid and causing him to spill all of the content of his coffee cup right on his chest. Despite the Biometal-augmented state of his armor, Hivolt felt the coffee burn into his body just as powerfully as any Ice Chip-powered charged Buster shot would have and he sprung up from his seat, screaming in pain as he hopped in place, twitching madly.

As the pain subdued, Hivolt turned to his computer again, noticing the blinking red light. Irritated to no end, he almost slammed his wing into the keyboard but managed to rein himself under control. If he damaged his computers, the budget for repairing it would probably be lifted from the budget for buying coffee and it was already dreadful tasting as is.

"MAVERICK INTRUSION IN SECTOR B." It was an automated report from the security drones, showing what seemed to be the Red Demon waltzing into the power plant from the front door, gutting the guards without slowing down.

Bad coffee, Guardians sniffing his turf, horrible paperwork, and now Mavericks attacking his power plant? Just when the day couldn't get any worse...

* * *

On one hand, the alarm was indeed quite loud, constantly echoing through the power plant. On another hand, the noise of machinery was equally loud, covering the sound almost entirely. The turbines outside had been quite a sight but as Aile ran through the halls of the power plant, she couldn't help but slow down, her eyes setting upon her surroundings.

For a practically prehistoric installation, it was surprisingly clean. The walls had obvious been painted recently, with a nice, metallic teal finish on them. Likewise, the floor was almost shiny enough for her to see her reflection in it and despite the alarm, she could see tiny mechaniloids constantly zooming back and forth, removing dust and stains, not paying attention to the scary red armored figure passing by them.

Then, there was the turbines in the walls, oriented horizontally, visible through glass barriers. The interiors looked like propellers, the turbines constantly spinning, the 'propeller blades' covered with electricity. It was an impressive display of obsolete technology as Ciel System energy generation systems were far smaller and flower-shaped. Still, the massive turbines were still a sight to behold. Still, considering the noise they were making and their sheer size, she could understand why that method of producing electricity was now obsolete.

The teen took her eyes away from the turbines and looked forward instead. Considering she had tripped the alarms by barging in, she expected Slither Inc. goons to come in any second so it was best to keep moving. But although the security forces had not yet challenged her, she could already see the first real line of defense of the power plant. The giant, cylindrical contraption was pretty hard to miss to say the truth. The thing in front of her was a common point defense drone, a type of mechaniloid commonly used by all sorts of organizations and even by individuals. It looked kind of silly, with its almost perfectly cylindrical shape, only the middle of the drone in front being any different, the cannon hidden under a duo of metal plates when not in use.

Aile had not taken the time to adjust her weapon's mode given that the guards outside had been mere Galleons and there had been only two of them but having seen many of those drones in the past, she knew that it would be better to take on it from a distance and as such, tried to summon energy into her X-Buster... only to feel absolutely nothing happening. There wasn't even this mental nudge from Model X indicating she had activated a system of sorts. There was something wrong with this...

"What's going on Model X? This is a fusion form, right? So where is my Buster cannon?"

"I'm very sorry Aile but the X-Buster data is corrupted during the fusion. Instead, the Z-Saber is modified so that it may transform into a Buster weapon."

Model X's explanation was a bit weird. The data got corrupted? She could understand for the initial transformation as Vent had to transform during an emergency but she had initiated the MegaMerge from within Area X, in a safe area, with plenty of time to spare. Still, considering the alarm echoing and the security forces moving, she guessed she'd question Model X's logic later.

As with most systems related to tbe Biometal, she felt the Biometals direct her hand and she brought the Z-Saber upward, grabbing into the hilt and then folding it somehow. Before her eyes, the energy blade faded and the hilt took on the shape of a Buster pistol not unlike the one that the Red Demon used except bright white. So it seemed that the Z-Saber was also her X-Buster in this form... quite an interesting trick here!

She glared at the defense drone, still idle despite the alarm. On one hand, she was surprised. How much more oblivious could it get? She was armed, in full armor and yet, it still hadn't gone active. On another hand, those drones were mass-produced and cheaply made and it was not surprising at all that it hadn't been triggered. Still, she will not take chances and take it out of a distance before it get the chance to notice her.

Grasping the Buster pistol in her right hand, she aimed carefully at the drone and squeezed the trigger. Just as when she had used the X-Buster arm cannon, she felt the now familiar feeling of energy flowing into her arm although this time, it went past her hand and into the pistol itself. She took the time to let the energy gather and then let go of the trigger, unleashing a giant blue fireball-shaped shot, a flurry of smaller red fireball-shaped shots orbiting it as it flew straight toward its target.

As she finished shooting the first shot, Aile did the usual motion she had used in her first mission, trying to concentrate the remaining energy into her other arm, punching into the air... but no second shot came out and she felt the energy simply disperse into her body instead. During this time, the shot fired from the Buster slammed into the drone. Despite the metal plates covering it, the shot was still powerful enough to damage the machine, causing it minor malfunctions as it became overloaded for a second. Unfortunately, it was not sufficient to destroy it and the machine finally noticed Aile and slid the metal plates out of the way, beginning its counter-attack.

"What's going on? What happened to the energy?"

"It's a Buster pistol, not a arm cannon. We couldn't keep the double shot ability with it. I am sorry, Aile." explained Model X.

"But where did the energy go?" Model X didn't reply annoyingly enough, instead trying to get her to pay attention to the drone.

The drone was not of a good quality and remained opened for a long time, its cannon charging up with energy. Despite the teen losing her concentration, it charged long enough that it couldn't shoot before she focused back on it. As the energy was discharged from the cannon, it fired what seemed to be a huge ball of electricity. Somehow, the shot arched into the ground instantly and then travelled slowly along the floor toward the teen. Compared with the problems posed by trying to dodge a barrage of Buster shots fired by Galleons Hunters, jumping over that fat ball of energy was an easy task.

Just as she landed, Aile pointed her Buster gun at the drone and fired again, this time simply shooting uncharged yellow shots toward it. Unfortunately, her timing was fairly bad as it moved the plates back in front of the cannon as it began to reload, trying to protect itself from the transporter's counter-attack. Fortunately, the armor plating of those drones was abysmal, being designed to guard from minor attacks by casual Mavericks. Even uncharged, her powerful military-grade Buster pistol tore through the drone's armor, the yellow shots going through the drone like through wet paper and making it shake as Aile turned it into Swiss cheese.

The drone never had the chance to prepare to fire a second shot as the damage Aile unloaded upon it caused it to shutdown.

Smiling to herself as the drone became silent, Aile instinctively placed the Buster pistol into its holster, noticing at that moment that she had a holster for it, and then went on her way. That had been quite easy. In fact, she was a bit surprised. This was a Slither Inc. installation so shouldn't there be better defenses? A couple of Galleons, a common point defense drone barely fit to drive back a casual Maverick... for a Slither Inc. installation, this place was ill-defended.

Her thoughts came to an abrupt end as a startling, intense pain gripped her chest. She gripped into her chest, the breath knocked out of her as she recoiled violently, almost losing her footing. Model X and Model Z sounded alarms of their own inside of her mind, warning her of a violent impact that had damaged her frontal armor plate, a strong one at that.

Getting a hold of herself, Aile looked around frantically, confused. What had that been about?

It was then that she felt like a punch to her stomach, energy surging into her body as Model X registered a second impact. Something had slammed into her and Model Z tried to compensate for the damage, trying to prevent her systems and organs from breaking apart.

Something or someone was obviously attacking her but where did it come from?

It was then that she noticed it, in the corner of her eye, a ball of energy, flying insanely fast, aimed squarely at her. She activated her dash systems, dashing to the right, the sphere missing her by a hair.

It was then that she noticed where the shot had come from. She had ignored it at first, thinking it was one more turbine but now that she was looking at it, she could notice that it had moved, confirming that it was another defensive turret.

That turret was different. It was a military grade turret, with a casing strong enough to fend off casual Buster shots and with a much better weapon system that didn't require the gun to be exposed while it recharged. That was more along the lines of what you'd expect to find in a Slither Inc. installation... and something that she definitely didn't need to deal with, quite frankly.

Fact is, this was a common hall and she had no cover. There were no convenient columns, tubes, or anything from which to hide herself from the blasts and although she was confident that she could destroy one measly turret, she could already hear the rumbling sound, like a waterfall getting closer, indicating that the Mavericks were getting closer.

The turret fired a third shot and she saw the incredibly fast sphere heading straight for her face. She thrown herself to the floor, not even bothering with her dash systems, letting the sphere sail over her. And as she landed painfully on her armor, she pushed into the floor to get up only to see the various doors in the hall open up almost simultaneously as a horde of Galleons streamed from the various entrances. She could see them, their arms already transformed into Buster cannons, some even carrying what seemed to be bazookas. They spread behind the turret, some of them carrying casings and dropping them, deploying even more of those darn turrets.

"FREEZE!" a yell came from the mass of Mavericks as they all pointed their weapons at her.

Model X and Z didn't need to tell her that obviously, if she took on all of those goofs head-on, she'd be turned to Swiss cheese. Thankfully, as she frantically tried to figure a way out of this mess, her eyes settled upon the giant propeller-like turbines stuck in the walls...

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" yelled the security force. Her attention had shifted away from them though.

"Model Z? Is the modified Z-Saber as strong as when you're not merged to Model X?" she asked mentally to the Biometal making up her armor.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"That barrier over there looks cheap and that turbine, unstable." Within her mind, Model X and Model Z suddenly went blank. She wasn't seriously thinking about...

Aile dashed toward the side. All of the Galleons opened fire as well as the turrets. They only hit air but with the amount of them all standing in the hallway, it was just a matter of adjusting their aim ; there was no way this strange red Maverick would escape from-

CLANG!

The strange Red Demon lookalike did something weird. It jumped, rolling into the air, swinging the blade all around itself like a buzzsaw, striking into the turbine stuck into the wall. There was an ominous, really loud sound of metal slicing into metal and of something really heavy shifting and falling...

Suddenly, as Aile landed on her feet, she quickly stepped back and all of the Galleons stopped firing as they felt a strange emotion going through their circuits. The massive turbine in the wall fell apart, the massive propeller-like main component falling off into the hall, discharging thousands of volts of electricity everywhere. The heavy machinery crushed the three turrets and quickly tumbled in random directions while damaging the walls, causing more of the turbines to be damaged, the debris causing the weapon systems of the Galleons to explode. One of the Galleons, caught by a heavy piece of metal fired his bazooka spontaneously while he fell, the rocket slamming into the ceiling and damaging a set of support wiring into the ceiling.

The situation was quickly evolving into complete pandemonium and Aile dashed straight at it.

"You are crazy! What are you-" Model X's rant was interrupted as Aile got into the way of one of the giant propeller.

In panic, the Biometal quickly re-adjusted her trajectory and she barely made it in-between two propeller blades, almost crushed by the super-charged device as it continued to discharge electricity and roll around. And all the while, the alarm continued to echo loudly through the entire hall.

While the Galleons were distracted, the teen quickly made her way to the end of the wall. She didn't bother trying to open the door, instead kicking it open. A couple of Galleons were behind it and were surprised to see the door they were about to open being broken. It only took them a second to realize what happened and to point their Buster cannons at Aile. It was one second too much as Aile had already turned the Z-Saber back into a Buster weapon and proceeded to put a Buster shot into the electronic brain of every Galleon before leaving. Behind her, the heavy machinery had begun to set fire to the power plant, the emergency sprinklers activating and showering the hall behind her.

Satisfied with herself, she proceeded forward.

* * *

It had came without warning. Diodon had not expected it at all. He was in the break room, with the sector B supervisor and a few of the other engineers, enjoying a cup of coffee before going back to work. A turbine had started to malfunction in the fifth hall and needed to be deactivated and repaired. Then, the red lights had begun flashing and the loud siren had almost knocked him out of his chair.

The door opened and the familiar sight of the SKH-1041, the local Galleon security guard, was seen. He had almost knocked the door open and despite the lack of a proper face, being a mass-produced Galleon model, everyone could see that he seemed panicked somehow.

"Sir! It is our duty to evacuate you from this sector before the Maverick gets here!"

"Hey, Seika." said the supervisor, calling the Galleon by its nickname. "What's going on here? What Maverick?"

"There is no time. Follow us immediately. Please do not panic."

The various employees followed quietly. A Maverick? What could be going on for an evacuation to be requi-

Diodon, as well as most of his fellow employees stopped in their tracks as they got out. A thin veil of smoke had risen in the halls and the once clean, well-lit power plant seemed to have gotten darker as the sound of something burning could be heard. More exactly, at the end of the hall, a bunch of human employees were using fire extinguishers, dousing the flames while a dozen of Galleons raced toward the door near the fire. A dozen Galleons, a whole squad? What could require such a level of firepower?

Looking more closely, Diodon saw that some of them even had large bazookas with them.

Seeing the employees slowing down, the Galleon turned to the various humans and Humanoids. "You have to keep moving! The Maverick is approaching! You must evacuate immediately!"

Suddenly, there was a sound like paper being torn and a deafening explosion echoed in the hall, the shockwave knocking Diodon and all of the others to the floor. The Galleon squad opened fire, pouring fire into whatever was approaching as smoke rose. But suddenly, there were the sounds of Buster shots, somehow different from the others, and one by one, the Galleons dropped, dead.

"RUN!" yelled SKH-1041 as he placed himself in the front and rose his arm Buster, beginning to fire.

The various employees did not have to be told twice. They all ran toward the door leading out of the hall, the supervisor nearly throwing himself at the control panel. He slid his security card into the panel so fast he almost broke it.

Then there was another sound like the other one, the strange sound of paper being torn and what seemed to be a massive blue fireballs surrounded by tiny red ones slammed into the ceiling in front of SKH-1041. The impact destroyed part of the structure and the machinery placed on the floor above collapsed through the newly formed hole. Debris rained and screams were heard.

What kind of nightmare was that? What could be causing this? Why was it happening there? To Diodon's knowledge, this was only a run-of-the-mill, if a bit old, power plant supporting Innerpeace. Why would Mavericks come here?

Yet, barely had Diodon and his group emerged from that hall that yet more explosions were heard. A piece of debris flew through the doorframe and knocked one of the other employees, a woman engineer that he knew was assigned to take care of the conveyor belts systems in the Sector, collapsed, the flying piece of metal having removed a large part of her shoulder. She screamed as she went down.

The supervisor's eyes widened as did everyone else's. He ran to her and grabbed into her as she gritted her teeth, blood flowing from the massive gap where a shoulder had once been.

More doors opened, more Galleons came. For a moment, Diodon thought that they were saved... but then, there was a strange whistling sound and the sound of metal being knocked against something. Each of the Galleons shook as Buster shots slammed into them, splattering their bodies' contents over the floor, the walls, each others.

Despite the barricade that the explosion in the last hall had caused, they could already saw a figure begin to walk from the burning wreckage, most of its frame hidden in the smoke. An armored creature, grotesque in its appearance, a mix between human, demon, and machine. It was walking toward them and terror filled them as it pointed its strange Buster pistol at them.

Although he had never been trained to deal with this sort of situation, survival instinct and fear made Diodon leap to the side, throwing himself at the floor. This turned out to be a good idea as yet one more of those weird blue fireballs were shot. The supervisor had tried to help the injured woman get up but as he looked up, he saw the Maverick firing its weapon and saw that the trajectory of the charged Buster shot was going to end with him.

The explosion knocked everyone on the floor, a sickening wet noise echoing, with what seemed to be something strangely wet and warm splashing around. Diodon remained on the floor, covering his face, feeling the heat from the shockwave. Why was this Maverick attacking them? What had they done? He was just a random guy with a normal job and a normal family, working for a random big corporation...

Why had that Maverick chosen to attack this power plant? Why is it killing everyone?

He slowly tried to get up yet his legs were shaking uncontrollably and every time he tried, it seemed like the floor was evading him. He had to get out of there. He had to-

Suddenly, there was a crushing sensation and pain through his entire body as something heavy had slammed on his stomach, forcing him to stay down. As he stopped shaking and looked up, he saw the Maverick, holding him in place with one of its boots. Its figure was red and black, staring at him, its hair blonde and long, in a ponytail. It seemed to be the Red Demon spoken of in the news except somehow... different and feminine.

The Maverick pointed her Buster at him and she could see the gratification as the psychopathic monster pulled the trigger. The last thing that he saw was the Buster bullet that ended his life.

* * *

Aile looked around carefully, removing her foot from the last Maverick. Looking around, there didn't seem to be any more Galleons coming to attack and she couldn't see any more Mavericks close by. Good, she could now continue.

She charged the Buster one more time and stepped forward before turning back and firing at the ceiling. The large fireball made an incredible mess of the ceiling and caused debris and extra machinery to collapse in front of the door. She wouldn't get surprised by sneak attacks now.

As she began to walk forward, Aile couldn't help but smile. The power of Model X had been something but despite losing the double charge shot, this was even more incredible. It felt good, finally giving the Slither Inc. some payback, trashing the machinery that they used for the insane plans, destroying the evil Mavericks working for Serpent. And to say the truth, there was something strangely thrilling regarding how much havoc she could cause with the Biometal. She could now understand how Giro had been able to trash that base so thoroughly.

The teen's face suddenly hardened as she reminded herself of Girouette. Her father figure, butchered by Serpent while she stood helpless... and then the way he dared to lecture Vent and hurt him...

Feeling herself motivated, she used her dash systems, confidently moving through the halls of the power plant. She kicked the next door wide open, not bothering by now about it, and stepped inside. It seemed like she had finally made it through the sector and made it to the center of the complex. This new section was opening wide, gigantic mechanical dynamo systems covering the entire floor, catwalks visible between each of the great machines. It was an impressive sight, one right out of another era with its clunky gears systems. Yet, she couldn't help but notice how shiny the dynamos was, how neat was the paint and shine over the equipment. It may be obsolete technology but the Slither Inc. had did its best to make sure that it was up to par and it shown. In fact, this whole complex was probably the cleanest building she had ever seen... well, before she had begun wrecking it apart of course.

It was then that her eyes settled upon a group of suspicious tiles in front of the nearest catwalk. The tiles slid open and she saw yet more point defense turrets emerging. The Mavericks never learn, don't they?

Still, those new turrets were sure strange. All yellow, with an ungainly, round weapon component and a small metal pole that rotated them in place. They were unlike any turret she had ever seen or heard about... not that it mattered. She pointed the Buster at the closest turret and pulled the trigger. They didn't look well-armored so she guessed that only a few uncharged shots would be enough.

cling cling cling!

Aile dove to the floor as her bullets bounced off the armor of the turret, slamming into the walls nearby and causing not a single scratch. She wasted no time in getting back up as she heard a mechanical-sounding popping noise, the turret firing at her.

Compared to the energy projectiles she had been evading so far, the large, fat cannonballs fired by those new turrets were a piece of cake to dodge. She didn't have to dash or use any of the superhuman speed that her ZX fusion form gave her. All she had to do was step out of the way and the slow-moving projectiles were bound for the floor.

As annoying a surprise as the turrets' armor had been, the teen was fairly confident that-

Aile was thrown to the floor away only this time by the shockwave from the cannonballs as they slammed into the floor and exploded with about as much strength as an artillery shell, leaving a crater and fiery blue smoke where they had impacted. She quickly got up, thinking about what had happened. These had to be artillery cannons, no way they'd be so powerful otherwise. And in a way, she guessed that it explained why they had fired their shots at such a low velocity. But then, that didn't make sense... why fire artillery shells in-door?

Bah, they're Mavericks. They did it because they're insane, like everything else they do.

Fortunately, the turrets' rate of fire was fairly dismal and she had to time to feel her weapon charge up completely before the cannons fired a second salvo. Just as the cannonballs headed her way, Aile dashed to the side and let loose one more of those massive blue charged shots. She watched the projectile fly toward its target at a blinding speed... only for the armor to absorb the impact with no damage whatsoever. All she managed to do was stress its support pole, causing it to spin a bit out of its firing position.

Remembering that stupid Metool, Aile swung her Buster, breaking it open as she switched it to its saber form. If that thing could absorb a charged shot without a scratch then she guessed she'd test the saber instead. The thing had to have a weakness, right?

Yet another salvo fired, yet again the cannonballs had no chance of even grazing her frame. She leaped over them effortlessly, amused that the Mavericks would even bother using time and time again tactics that had been proven not to work.

Landing in front of the first turret, she made sure that the Biometals were assisting her with her aim and swung the saber with all of her strength. Although she had used the weapon in its saber form quite a bit since she entered the power plant, Aile couldn't help but be amazed for a second at how the Biometal's knowledge of technique blended with her own mind, correcting the angle of her swing, changing her grip to the optimal method, helping her focus her attack to deal the most damage. Rather than let a flurry of chaotically swung slashes, Aile let loose on the turret in a graceful combo that was not unlike those that Girouette would have unleashed while MegaMerged.

The turret spun wildly, each impact causing the turret to rotate out of control. She could feel the impacts, she could feel it as she struck it. The other turrets briefly registered and she dashed, striking at them while spinning to catch the others. She tried to attack everywhere, to continue her assault at any cost. She didn't want to be shot and she could feel the impacts, see the turrets spin under her attacks. Her attacks had to have an effect! She couldn't be stopped by a bunch of stupid artillery cannons in some hallway, she will not accept it!

She struck and struck and struck... and a tiny voice inside of her seemed to speak up, like an intuition. For a moment, she just dismissed it but as she continued her frenzied attacks, it became more insistent and suddenly, she realized that it was Model X's voice.

"AILE!"

"what is it? Can't you see I am busy trying to destroy those turrets?" she replied, thoroughly annoyed and wondering why it wasn't helping her take care of those stupid Mavericks.

"The catwalk!"

She glanced at the catwalk midway through one of her attacks... or at least, what was left of it.

She froze, jaw dropping at the destruction that lied before her. The catwalk had been completely destroyed, only bits and pieces of it remaining... and many of them were all over the place, embedded into the ceiling and the walls, even inside of some of the machinery all over the room. What little was left was crumbling down and burning from the explosive damage it had taken.

It was then that the turrets fired another salvo... which never came near hitting Aile despite her lack of attention. Instead, the turrets, now pointed at where the catwalk used to be, fired a bunch of cannonballs which vaporized what little was left of it. Well... she guessed... that it explained why the turrets had not hurt her despite fighting at such a close range...

"They destroyed the catwalk? I guess they do have some intelligence after all..." she said to herself.

"Actually." Model Z came in at that moment, speaking into her mind. "the turrets only fire straight. Your attacks caused them to spin out of control and destroy the catwalk."

For a moment, Aile wondered what to do. This... was a problem, effectively. She couldn't continue further inside the power plant if the way ahead was wrecked. Then, there was the fact that Model Z was blaming her for it...

"It's your powers inside of me, it's your fault too. Don't blame me solely for it!"

"But it's your arm that's wielding that weapon of yours. If you had-" Aile's mental argument with Model Z was stopped instantly by Model X, who figured that if they all began to argue, they'd never leave this place.

"Stop. All is not lost, Aile. Look to the walls, now."

There were turbines in the walls, massive turbines. With the havoc caused by the turrets, the cover on the humongous machines was now gone, some of their gears exposed and spinning out of control. It was an impressive sight, like most of the power plant to say the truth but the teen wondered how that would help. Reading her thoughts, Model X decided to elaborate a bit.

"Those gears have been knocked loose and are relatively close to each others now. I believe that with our help, you can jump from gear to gear to reach the other side."

"What? But they're spinning too fast!" now Model X had to be joking. The gears were spinning incredibly fast having been knocked loose but with their rotation system still intact. Sure, the Biometals allowed her to move in incredible ways but she doubted that she would make it. Then, there were her worries about falling. She approached the edge and looked down, watching the floor underneath. Okay, so Model X was transmitting her data saying that a drop of that distance would be no problem for it to handle... but still, she didn't wish to tempt fate too much.

But then, what choice did she have? She had thoroughly wrecked the place on the way here and beside, if she leaves now she'll give the Mavericks an opportunity to regroup and prepare for a new assault. No, she can't leave now. She has to complete the mission.

Thus, she did the obvious... although the obvious was no less crazy. The gears were spinning so fast that the second she'd land on one, she felt like she was being thrown off, hopping quickly in a mad attempt on staying on. Each time she tried to stay on top, it seemed the gears' sheer speed was defeating her attempts. She could feel Model X and Z struggling with the calculations, trying to help her but it was no use.

... unless...

Aile kicked off the first gear and sent herself flying toward the next one. The second she reached it, she kicked into the blazingly fast gear, refusing to try to stand on it, only using it as a stepping stone. Quickly enough, in what seemed to be a very weird version of hopscotch, she cleared past the engine hall, finally launching herself deeper into the complex. As her feet finally touched solid ground again, the teen let herself pause, breathing in.

"I'm never doing something like that ever again..." she said to herself.

Both Model X and Z silently hoped for the same... but knowing X's and Zero's histories, guessed that such a wish was probably futile.

Still, all of this exercise was finally paying off as when Aile finally caught her breath and looked up, she noticed the label on the door. She was finally entering the inner area of the factory. At long last, those Mavericks would pay!

She confidently walked through the door leading to the final section of the outer area, eager to enter the inner area and teach those evil people a lesson they wouldn't forget. But as she walked into the dimly lit warehouse room, she heard something like an engine starting. It then dawned upon her that the massive shadow in front of her was not a pile of crates, especially when two lights lit up in front of it, revealing it to be an absolutely monstrous industrial forklift. She couldn't see the face of the Maverick driving the thing but she could see the large blades and Buster cannons that had been hastily added to the machine. In fact, looking closer, she swore that they had used duct tape to put them in position.

"M-MAVERICK SCUM!" yelled the Maverick atop the mechanical monster. "Get out of our power plant! Now! Or I'll crush you like a tin can!"

The teenage girl blinked a few times, looking at the massive, ridiculous contraption and the shadowy driver. Then, she felt a mix of confidence and indignation swell inside her. The fact that the Mavericks had stepped so low as to weaponize a forklift meant she was nearly done with this power plant... but on another hand, that Maverick just called her a Maverick! How dare it call her that? She's not the one who go around leaving innocents to be butchered by Mavericks and sacrifice everyone with the Model W Biometal!

She didn't give it an answer. She wouldn't give it that luxury. With a swing of the hand, she switched her saber's mode, transforming it back into a Buster handgun, pointing it at the evil person. She wouldn't be stopped, not so close to her goal. She pulled the trigger, aiming straight at the Maverick, concluding that destroying the probably squishy driver would be faster than attacking that forklift... not that some forklift could stop her after cutting and shooting her way through so many Galleons.

To her frustration, the driver reacted by raising the forklift's lift, placing it in the way of the Buster shots. Although her shots did send many of the added spikes flying and colored the lift a nice, crispy shade of black, the driver was left intact. She swore internally only to hear the whine of the lower Buster cannon charging.

Her reaction was instantaneous. She spotted a convenient pile of crates and using the Biometals' enhancements to her speed and strength, quickly scaled the pile to put herself out of range. Unfortunately, logic had its way with her as the beam still hit the bottom of the pile, making the crate pile begin to collapse with her still on top of it. Not willing to let herself fall so easily, she however leaped toward the next pile of crates and landed gracefully, charging her Buster handgun, preparing her next attack.

With a silly war cry, the driver of the forklift decided to frustrate her further, driving it into a straight collision course with her, probably hoping to run her over, knock her off the crates, or something to that effect. At this point, she no longer cared much about that. All that she knew was that this was a Maverick attacking her and it would die, one way or another.

In fact... that charge was the perfect opportunity and as the forklift went charging toward her, Aile used the Biometals' mental interface to lock her aim on the driver and just as the forklift hit the crates, she shot the driver at point blank range. The massive blue plasma sphere tore through the weakened forklift's lift and made an incredible mess of its unprotected driver, making it explode like a watermelon being tested by an old lady at a supermarket. Unfortunately, it did mean that a fraction of second later, the forklift hit the crate pile at full speed. Thankfully, Aile had the foresight to leap off just as she shot the driver.

The forklift went on to plow through several piles of crates, spilling their cargo all over the place before slamming into the nearest wall violently, sending debris flying all over the place. Yet more havoc, yet another Maverick destroyed, yet more damage to the Slither Inc.. Not bad for a side-encounter in some unimportant warehouse room separating her from the inner area.

Leaving behind the havoc she had caused, Aile kicked the next door open, not bothering to let the automatic opening systems do their work. Yet, as she stepped inside, spinning the ZX Buster weapon in her hand, anticipating the killing of yet more Maverick scum, she found herself facing complete silence except for the constant blaring of the alarms. No sounds, no movement... complete stillness with only the rumbling of machinery doing its daily duty breaking the silence. Even the non-sentient drones were gone.

The Mavericks must have had the time to vacate the area...

Still, as she began to walk forward, she couldn't help but look around. The outer area had been strange, with all those turbines and gears but the inner area was even more alien to what she knew. The machinery somehow seemed to pulse like hearts and there were tubes everywhere, seemingly filled with liquid and containing... what? What did those tubes contain?

She slowly approached one of the tubes embedded into the wall, blinking a few times as she brought her face closer. There seemed to be something inside... and then, she saw it. Some kind of small, doll-like humanoid shape, all made of light, sliding through the tube. She recoiled in surprise, blinking. What were those tubes containing, exactly?

... she looked around and to her shock, noticed that all of the machinery was chock-full of the strange light beings. What could they possibly be?

"What are these things?" she asked herself. She had never seen something like before. Except... "I saw one when Giro disappeared..."

Yes, she had seen it, Vent's communicator catching the image. Giro had turned into some kind of tiny light not unlike these when he... died...

As she stood like this, it finally dawned upon her that her communicator was blaring its own call alarm, calling to her attention. In her rush through the power plant, the teenager had never noticed until now that the Guardians had been trying to contact her for more than half-a-hour... but that fact was lost upon the teen, who simply thought that they had contacted her right now.

Likewise, the fact that Model X and Z had never really agreed upon her course of action had not registered either. It was only now that her mind understood the signal they had actually been inserting into her brain since the rampage began.

She activated the communicator...

There was a moment of silence and then, she heard Prairie's voice. "This signature... Cyber-elves?"

Cyber-elves? "Cyber-elves? What's a Cyber-elf?"

There was a short pause and then, she heard the shock disappearing from Prairie's voice. Her voice had become determined and... strangely distant somehow. "Sentient programs created with pure energy in the image of elves. I don't understand why there are so many of them here. Your communicator is detecting their signatures inside all of the power plant! That power plant... It must be using them to generate power!"

"Well, it looks like we found out what's up with this place." she concluded.

"Cyber-elves are all sentient beings like the rest of us! That the Slither Inc. would use them to generate power... that's unbelievable! Aile, please, you must shut down that power plant!"

With a nod, Aile shut down the communicator. To use sentient beings to generate power like this... there is truly nothing too low or vile for the Slither Inc. It made her sick, looking at all those tubes. She felt her rage returning, her fingers twitching, her mind filling with the temptation to unleash her power and destroy this entire place. But how could she wreck this power plant?

The way many of the tubes pulsed, the way the Cyber-elves seemed somehow 'pumped'... it reminded her of a heart and if this had any similarity to a Ciel System power generation system...

With a manic determination all over her face, the teenager followed the tubes, going toward where the Cyber-elves came from. She had to find their source, find what was the core of the power plant!

She walked forward quickly, pushed a door... and then froze. She saw it, the core... massive, ugly, like a weird mix of an eyeball and a heart, beating like one too, making loud, disgusting noises as it functioned. The sight of it and the thought of all those Cyber-elves made Aile feel sick. She needed to put an end to this once and for all. She charged as much energy as she could into her weapon and let it fly.

The abomination, as large as it was, had not been designed to resist blasts of any sort and exploded from a single shot. The effect was instantaneous, causing lights everywhere to flicker. Circuit breakers in the wall exploded as the core's destruction sent shockwaves through the systems. Walls, floors, and ceilings, already weakened by Aile's rampage, collapsed as the circuits within overloaded. The entire electricity-producing system became paralyzed, its heart cut off.

As the lights flickered all around her, the emergency systems kicking in, she watched with satisfaction as the tubes emptied themselves and remained empty. At long last, she had dealt her first real, major blow against the Slither Inc.! Yet, she did not smile and she thought of the employees, of the Mavericks. The Maverick responsible for this was still somewhere in this power plant, probably laughing and gloating about his evil plans. She would not let him get away from this! She would punish him!

She stormed out of the room, determination filling her. The bastard's office had to be somewhere around here, it had to be! She will find the one responsible for this!

Kicking one last door down, she emerged to find out that she had went through the entire power plant and now stood outside. For a moment, she began to cool down, resignation at the idea of the villain having caused this escaping... but it was then, when she sat down near a huge, broken down ancient antenna, that she saw the figure, standing at the top of it, looking down upon her with malevolent eyes...

"Hmph! You're the Maverick that has been rampaging all the way out here? I thought I would be dealing with the Red Demon, you're just some little girl. I should have known better than to rely on generic Galleons for security."

The teenager glared openly at the strange figure. From its words, it had confirmed to be the local Slither Inc. officer and thus, had earned itself an appointment with her Buster handgun. "You're one of Serpent's men? For a Maverick, you sure are chatty."

The figure seemed immensely peeved. It leaped off the old antenna and just as it came to land in front of here, its descent slowed down to a halt, the Maverick now floating in front of her. Its shape was... extremely strange to say the least. Green, rather insectoid like a mantis but with a head that made her think vaguely of a fox, with wings instead of hands, it was probably one of the weirder Mavericks she had ever seen. Its body was almost entirely green except for its face, currently a crimson shade of red.

"Maverick? You called me a Maverick? I am not some puppet Maverick! I am an artificial Mega Man created to draw out the power of the Biometal. I am the Model H Pseudoroid, Hivolt, the director of this power plant, and a respected officer in the Slither Inc.! And you are pretty chatty yourself, for a Maverick!"

This made Aile clench a fist, one eye twitching out of pure anger. "What? What did you say? If there is a Maverick here, it is you! With your Project Haven plan and you abusing Cyber-elves to generate power!"

At this moment, Hivolt's face drained of its color. He just floated there, staring at the girl, blinking. How could she possibly know about Project Haven and the real purpose of this power plant? In fact, how come a Maverick be chatty like this? Briefly, he gazed behind her, noticing the trail of destruction... and the red taint of the lamps near the door. The conclusion was obvious. He had left his office to ask for help and during this time, that girl had wrecked his power plant. And since the emergency lighting was on, it could only mean one thing...

Hivolt glared at the teenager, his eyes narrowing in a mix of contempt, disbelief, and frustration.

"You've done your research. Great, just what I needed. Lousy coffee, materiel shortages, incompetent employees, nosy Guardians, and now some intelligent Maverick girl who somehow unearthed our secrets? This is an outrage, an outrage I tell you! All of this is not for some random Red Demon lookalike to know! I shall end this here. But do not worry, unlike you, I am not some Maverick butcher. All you'll just feel is a little jolt and then you'll sleep forever!"

"I heard ENOUGH!" Aile was sick of this guy already. She pointed her Buster pistol at him and fired a series of shots. But Hivolt had seen it coming and sent himself upward, effortlessly dodging the initial salvo.

"Touchy, aren't you? No matter, you'll just die tired!" went the Maverick before spreading its wings. There was a click and then, part of its grotesque-shaped wings split up, forming two miniature turrets that floated near Hivolt, hovering at his sides.

One didn't need a degree in rocket science to guess that he was about to attack. Aile leaned forward, gripping her Buster firmly, glaring at the Maverick, not letting her gaze wander one second. She remembered that fight at Giga Aspis's base and would make sure to be fully alert for whatever weird trick that Maverick would have in store.

Hivolt then lowered himself back to ground level and placed the turrets in front of him. They began to spin, and spin, and spin, faster and faster and after a few seconds, the danger registered inside of Aile's mind. Those weren't standard turrets, they were-

ZWAP-ZWAP-ZWAP-ZWAP-ZWAP!

The two turrets fired like a gatling gun, firing a flurry of electrically charged blades that filled the air, all aimed at the red armored teenager. Even with Model X and Model Z locking on to each blade and calculating the trajectory in nanoseconds to direct her dodging, she found herself hard-pressed to duck, sidestep, and dodge all of them. The teen felt like she was dodging rain, unable to find even a single second to fire back.

Hivolt, him, was rather unused to a Maverick who dodged his shots. Normally, his gatling gun-like rate of fire meant that when he shot at Mavericks, they died. After all, no mundane Maverick could get the better of a Mega Man, everyone knew that. But to his dismay, that red girl just kept squirming out of his aiming reticule like some elusive, coffee-drugged fish, refusing to sit still for him and at this moment, he cursed the fact that although very fast, his weapons were also very imprecise, with a very noticeable spread pattern to his shots.

This lasted for about ten seconds before Hivolt's nerves gave out. This was going absolutely nowhere. Still, since she was so busy dodging, maybe she'd be vulnerable to another method of attack? After all, despite wielding a Buster, she seemingly too busy dodging to actually shoot back.

Leaning forward, the Slither officer gathered his thoughts and aimed carefully and then, lounged forward with all of the might he could muster. Aile saw the Maverick charge straight at her and knew that he wasn't going to stop, which led her to do the sensible thing and throw herself to the side in a desesperate attempt to keep him from hitting her.

The good news was that Hivolt passed right by her, hitting nothing but air with his body. The bad news is that in the process, she felt a strong jolt go through her shoulder and almost make her drop her weapon as an electric blade grazed her left shoulder. Thankfully, it was only one hit, not even anywhere near a clean one, and both Biometals easily vented the excess electricity the blade injected before it did any major damage to Aile's body.

As Hivolt passed the red Maverick, he couldn't help but curse loudly, ceasing fire and sending himself flying upward on a loop so he'd face his opponent again but from a higher position once again. He glared angrily at the Maverick, pondering what had just happened. Sure, it hadn't hit him but all of his attacks had hit nothing but air and there she was once more, getting up and staring at him.

Well, since relying on volume of fire proved ineffective, he guess he'll try something else.

Aile watched as the Maverick then hovered a bit forward and sent its turrets flying. They were quite a bit away from him and began to slowly orbit him. She had a bad feeling about this...

"He's staying still! Fire!"

Aile kicked herself as Model Z pointed out the obvious. Dodging is good but her real goal here is destroying that evil Maverick. She raised her Buster and saw the aiming reticule as Model X assisted her. She then pulled the trigger, firing a multitude of shots. Considering how weird it looked, she tried to hit all kinds of spots. Some of the yellow, oval shots slammed into the head, others grazed the wings, others hit the chest plate, yet others hit the legs.

Unsurprisingly, considering it called itself an artificial Mega Man, the Maverick's armor stood up to basic Buster shots a lot better than a common Galleon. Although she did see the sparks and bits of metal flying from each hit, his tough Biometal-augmented armor shrugged off her shots relatively easily, the enemy apparently barely feeling anything at all. This only caused Aile to grow frustrated too and to fire wildly at him, Model X assisting her to allow her to put every single shot into Hivolt's still frame.

Of course, there is a difference between not showing signs of being in pain and not being in pain. Hivolt definitely was actually fitting the former category, cursing himself for taking so long to adjust his aim and underestimating the Maverick he faced.

"Da-damn it!" he cursed under his breath, one of his eyes twitching madly as the shots chipped at his armor. "Why is it always the least damaging shots that hurts the most?"

Yet, he kept an eye focused on that infernal red girl. If she think herself skilled and clever for dodging his attacks before, she'll definitely get a bad surprise here. He got a hold of himself and then, sent the signal to his turrets.

This time, the turrets fired at a slower rate of fire, the shots flying far from her. For a moment, Aile stopped paying attention to the Maverick, watching as the shots missed her by a massive margin. It was as if the artificial Mega Man had not even tried to hit her. She wondered why he'd waste time hitting the dirt near the ruined satellite dish for a second before concluding that it was a Maverick and thus, was acting as expected. Mavericks are insane, their actions are not supposed to make sense.

But as she shifted her attention back to Hivolt and resumed firing, Model Z's voice echoed inside of her mind. "It's a trap! Get out of this position!"

A trap, it said? She glanced at her sides... and noticed that the streams of electrically-charged blades were closing in to her, making sweeping motions, like a giant pair of scissors slowly closing with her right in the center. Unless she did something, the curve of the blades' trajectories would soon both end with her.

She didn't hesitate. She gathered a small amount of energy into her Buster weapon and pointed it toward one of the two turrets, unleashing a small blue fireball. Predictably, the turret was well-armored and the half-charged shot made a loud metallic sound when it slammed into it. She had hoped that it would have been enough to mess up its aim... but to her frustration, it had no effect at all, the turret spinning back into position instantly, compensating for the impact with ease. This, of course, meant that the two streams of shots from Hivolt closed in upon her.

Cursing loudly, Aile kicked into the ground, using the Biometals' power to increase the height of her jump. For a split second, the blades hit the ground underneath her with little effect... only for the two streams to cross, the turrets continuing their sweeps. A pair of electrical blades, one from each turret, zoomed through the air and then struck Aile directly into the chest. Her eyes went wide as the blades pierced through her armor, injecting massive amounts of electricity directly into her body, frying nerves and veins within. The sheer kinetic impact also knocked the teenage girl out of the air, causing her to land painfully on her back.

Electricity is and has always been a nasty element to deal with, defensively. Being half-machine, Aile's body was especially vulnerable to the circuit-melting effects that a weapon-grade surge of electricity had. Model X worked frantically to vent the electricity into the ground while Model Z tried to shake Aile out of her stupor. If she allowed the electric shock to paralyze her, she most likely wouldn't walk away from this fight in one piece.

Hivolt watched with a certain level of satisfaction as his trap worked perfectly. The red girl had never seen it coming, assuming that his turrets had just fired in regular sweeping motions. Although... it is strange that she tried to throw his turrets' aim off. Mavericks definitely aren't supposed to be able to strategize like this mid-battle... Still, it didn't change the situation much. That blue fireball was a bit of a shock but didn't seem too threatening and considering that the reports said that its most powerful weapon was a beam sword, Hivolt guessed that he would be safe as long as he stayed airborne.

Guessing that this trick would likely not work twice, he called the turrets back to him and began to gather his power. He had been worried at first, hearing about how the large fiery Buster shots fired by the Maverick had torn apart his security personnel but although the smaller Buster shots had been painful, the charged shot had been a lot less impressive than what he had heard about. He guessed that the Galleons had exaggerated, as usual. Well, no matter, his armor can shrug off hits like those and this Maverick is about to see what a Mega Man's charged attack is.

As Aile recovered from the shock she received, she felt a bit weak for a second before Model Z and X used their powers, compensating for the damage she had received and allowing her to focus. The teen placed her weapon back into its holster for a moment and grabbed into the two spikes embedded into her armor and then, following Model Z's instructions, pulled them out. She couldn't help but grimace as she felt the blades on their way out, the teen trying not to cut her hands by mistake. Once they were out of her frame, she thrown the offending objects away and grabbed her weapon, focusing on the Maverick once more.

That had been an extremely unpleasant surprise to say the least and one she didn't want to see repeated. So she glared at the evil Reploid, pointing her weapon at it, gathering her energy into it, preparing to blast him.

There was a brief pause in the combat as neither combatants seemed to do anything, Aile pointing her weapon at Hivolt while in turn Hivolt seemed to be crouching in mid-air, his gaze never leaving the red girl just as she never left him out of sight...

Aile couldn't help but wonder what Hivolt could possibly be doing, crouching in mid-air like this.

Model X and Z detected that last thought and nearly panicked as Aile had failed to recognize the obvious sign that shown Hivolt telegraphing a charged attack. And considering the moment that had passed, they both suspected that they had a split second before the Maverick struck.

"Aile! It's charging up for-"

Too little, too late. Model X did not finish his sentence.

The green Maverick suddenly spread his strange wings and then, pink energy exploded right out of his body in the form of long, fat beams of energy. Although imprecise and not aimed anywhere in particular, Hivolt's frame fired no less than six of them, two from his wings, two from his body, two from his feet. Having not seen the attack coming, Aile's reaction came at the very last split-second and even then, it wasn't nearly early enough.

One of the powerful beam lasers pierced through Aile's left leg as she leapt out of the way. This caused the beam to act like a buzzsaw, cutting a long swat from her knee all the way down to her foot. The attack did serious damage, melting the outer armor, burning the flesh within, flash-vaporizing the bones. Model X and Z reeled from the damage inflicted, the only good side being that as a laser-type attack, it had cauterized its own point of impact, not causing bleeding. It didn't change the fact that a significant portion of the teenager's left leg had ceased to exist.

"Aile!" called Model X. "We can't take many more hits like this."

Model Z would roll his eyes if he had any. But although Model X had stated the obvious, the situation didn't look good. With the spikes and now that laser attack, Aile's body was being taxed heavily and although the Biometals had deactivated many of the optional systems and shifted metal away from unneeded inner armor padding to repair her chest and leg, if Aile continued to take hits like these some of her vital systems might begin to fail. And considering that all that Aile did was chip at the Maverick's armor...

"Aile, forget about that Maverick. Run. We're outmatched. At this rate, all that you'll achieve is getting yourself killed."

The teenager panted as she stared at the Maverick. She was so close... so close to completing the mission. And now, she was losing to some green Maverick? She didn't care if this was an artificial Mega Man! The Slither Inc. would not get away with what they were doing in this power plant, they wouldn't get away with all of their evil plans.

The situation suddenly became very weird. Hivolt felt satisfaction when his attack succeeded and expected the Maverick to either run or start flailing in vain at him. But against all odds, the red Maverick got up, repaired the damage it had suffered the best it could and... just stood there, staring at him, assessing the situation. This was strange, extremely strange... He couldn't help but to look at the human-like enemy, pondering about the situation. A Maverick did not act like this, he knew that. Even sapient ones did not act like this. He knew it for he had the unpleasant experience of having to deal with Purprill's antics himself in the past. So he knew that this red Maverick was acting far, far more intelligently than she should be able to.

It was then that a thought occurred to him. Somehow, it knew of Project Haven, spoke intelligently, obviously fought intelligently... it was obvious that this was either not a Maverick at all or a Maverick of great intelligence. Either way, the Slither Inc. officer saw an opportunity. Although he remained in battle position, he decided that maybe now that it had seen that he was the superior one, he could obtain a different outcome that would definitely please Serpent and further their cause...

"Red Maverick..." he began, breaking the silence.

The Maverick's face lost its calm. She stood upright and glared angrily at him. "I'm not a Maverick!"

Well, that wasn't a good start. Still, he carried on. "You cannot hope to defeat me, you have seen that I am superior. Still... now that I think about it, is it truly needed that you die? You are obviously of great intelligence to find out about our plans and the Slither Inc. could definitely use someone like you. Maybe we can discuss our issues over a cup of coffee instead of continuing a fight you have no chance of winning."

That would definitely be nice. Give him the opportunity to assess the damage to his installation and take care of his casualties. Oh and maybe get some decent coffee from somewhere else. But then, that Maverick seemed young ; did it drink coffee?

"Join the Slither Inc.? NEVER!"

Well, at least he tried. He guessed he should have known that a Maverick would never agree to a peaceful solution. Well, he don't care either way. He'll just shock her some more and see if she survive. If not, he'll be rid of her and the company's secrets will be safe. Else, maybe it will understand that fighting a Mega Man is a bad idea.

The red Maverick pulled the trigger just as Hivolt flapped his strange wings, preparing to unleash his turrets again. Hivolt was not worried, he had seen the tiny blue fireball from before...

PFWOOM!

But what emerged from the Maverick's Buster weapon was not a tiny blue fireball but rather, the immense projectile that his minions had described in their hasty mid-defense report. It seemed that the Galleons had not exaggerated after all. In fact, they had understated the truth as the strange green Reploid was almost paralyzed as he saw the massive blue fireball fly toward him at an alarming speed, the massive projectile surrounded with dozens of smaller red fireballs that orbited it rapidly.

The attack struck Hivolt straight into the joint of his left wing, tearing into a spot where the armor was weaker. The massive fully-charged shot, unlike its smaller counterparts, didn't merely chip away at his armor. It outright tore through the weaker part of his armor, blasting through his circuits as if through air, the large projectile emerging on the other side with a small explosion, sending burnt metallic shrapnel flying alongside with a copious amount of artificial blood. Startled by the pain, Hivolt lost altitude, no longer able to keep himself in the air as his wing turned into a glorified weight.

Despite the pain, the green Maverick was able to keep control of himself enough to land on his strangely shaped feet, now standing like a humanoid-shaped Reploid. He briefly swung his damaged wing, making sure that some of the nerves that allowed him to move it had survived and was relieved to see it still moved... although the movement felt stiff and he was unable to get any new data from it, meaning that most of the nerves had indeed been fried. The bleeding remained consistent for a few seconds before the auto-repair systems finally melted the damaged ends of the inner veins, forcing the bleeding to stop.

As Hivolt looked at his foe, still pointing that detestable Buster of hers at him, he suddenly felt his mood starting to worsen considerably. The idea that it was just as savage as the reports had stated was starting to truly filter into his mind and with the Maverick's refusal and apparent insanity, it soon became obvious that although Purprill was insane like all true Mavericks, that red Maverick was definitely beyond reasoning and would only serve as a sacrifice and nothing else.

So he spun his wings, changing the angle of his joints, revealing why his designation was that of a Raptoroid as his wings revealed themselves for what they truly were... namely, his arms, the large sets of two 'feathers' actually being the hands' talons.

It was a terrifying sight, the green Maverick looking a lot more feral and a lot more ferocious than before. But Aile was not going to let herself be beaten now. Especially not when she was starting to get the upper hand. So she changed the Buster's mode and swung it to her side as the long triangular green blade emerged. Then she pointed it at the Maverick, not saying a word, glaring at the evil Slither Inc. officer just as it glared back.

With a war cry, Hivolt gathered his power and swung with both arms. Although he had lost the ability to move the fingers of his damaged arm, all he needed was to swing the arm as a whole with his other. The combo was fast and executed flawlessly, drawing on Model H's power to send large crescent-shaped beams flying straight toward Aile.

The teen was not going to lose. She dashed forward, leaning so that the first beam passed right over her. Model X and Z, recognizing the attack, quickly searched their implemented memories and found that the motions and effects matched with the famous combo used by the X Guardian Harpuia, so long ago. Thus, they predicted the timing and gave Aile the instinctive knowledge required to quickly jump over the second beam. By the time Hivolt brought his right arm in an upward slashing motion, making an approximate copy of the former X Guardian's third x-shaped strike, his arm slammed with a loud metallic sound against the beam saber of the red Maverick.

Taken by surprise, Hivolt tried to bring his other arm in a downward slashing motion, as to cleave the arrogant red girl's head in two but with his injury, his arm's motion came as slow and wide. With Model Z augmenting her speed and reflexes, Aile easily twisted the handle of the saber, changing the angle slightly before thrusting and swiping upward. The blade pierced through the green Maverick's chest plate and made a large, nasty cut through his circuits, emerging through the right shoulder, effortlessly intercepting the coming slash while heavily damaging him.

At this moment, the Slither Inc. officer found itself feeling strangely wet, as if a tomato had been squeezed just next to his face. For some reason, his chest was feeling heavier than usual and he found himself tired, breathing being a bit harder than before. He glanced down... only to see the massive wound and to realize that the wet feeling was his own blood, splashed all over the side of his face and his chest. He also realized that with his arms in such a position, he had only a split second to save himself. He also realized with growing panic that the red Maverick had defeated all of his weapons and tricks. Effectively, with this new wound, she had now crippled both of his arms and with them, disabled all of his weapons.

Realizing that although he had a relatively scrawny frame he was still larger and bigger than the Maverick, he overcharged his dash thrusters and sent himself flying into the Maverick, performing a body slam. It wasn't exactly the most lethal move although he did throw the Maverick off her feet and sent her falling to the ground back-first but at this point, he was out of ideas.

"I'm-I'm not paid enough for this..." he whispered to himself as he watched the red Maverick. He had enough, freakin' enough. Bad coffee, boring job shepherding cyber-elves, having to deal with that insane nutjob that is Hurricaune, having to manage that obsolete pile of junk they call a power plant, constantly having to fend off Legion and Guardian officials... this job was not worth dying over. So, finally out of ideas, Hivolt did the only thing he could think of.

Aile got up and then, blinked. "Is he... hey-HEY! Where are you going-COME BACK HERE!"

The teen quickly switched her Buster back to gun mode and aimed at the green Maverick as it turned tail and ran for dear life. But for such an ungainly Maverick, Hivolt sure could move fast, dashing at full speed toward the door. The Buster shots impacted against his back armor, drawing yet more blood but failing to stop it. In fact, in pure panic, the Reploid decided that since the Model H Biometal was now useless and was just slowing him down, the Maverick could have it if it wanted it so much. The password code was already his and his life was more important than the stupid thing.

Thus, there was a brief flash of light as the Reploid shrunk into a far more characteristic brown-ish raptor shape and ran for dear life, whimpering in pure terror, the door slamming loudly behind him as his former wings, the basis of his green armor, laid upon the ground, damaged and useless.

Aile was about to give pursuit but as adrenaline slowly began to fade from her blood, the pain that she should be feeling from all the damage she had taken and the immense stress her body had went through finally began to filter through and stilled her legs. She suddenly felt as if the arm she had used to wield her weapon was feeling incredibly sore, making her reach to it with her other hand, grasping it in an attempt in lessening the pain.

It was at this moment that the green scraps that used to be Hivolt's armor began to change shape. Quickly catching her breath, she took back on her fighting stance, pointing her weapon at it once more as she changed it from saber mode back to Buster mode again. Had that dirty Maverick left a trap for her as it escaped?

... but then, the armor scraps began to shrink, glowing white, as if melting... and then finally, took on a familiar shape before rising into the hair. She recognized the shape ; similar to Model X and Z but somewhat different and green in color. She instantly guessed what it might be. It was the object of her mission, what she had been sent to find in the first place.

Model H stared at the strange red teen standing in front of him. For a moment, when he had seen the red shape through the reports, watching the same video feed as Hivolt had, he had thought that Zero would be coming to save him. The irony had not been lost upon him.

But fighting the red entity itself and now getting a good look for himself, he could see that this was not the legendary Maverick whom he had fought back when he had a body of his own, so many years ago. Zero had a different armor and he could see the signs that shown that the being under the armor was female. This could only mean that Ciel had found a fitting host for Model Z.

"I am the Biometal of the Wind, Model H. Thank you for saving me, young hero."

The voice was somewhat high-pitched but regal. It somehow felt very different from Model X's and Model Z's voices, the emotion behind much stronger somehow.

Model H expected many things from the Chosen One but not what he heard next.

"Please, I need your help Model H. I have to defeat Serpent and prevent the resurrection of Model W. I have to!"

It was a sudden explosion, a panicked request bordering on begging. This brought him a profound distaste of the host for some reason. He knew that Ciel had probably chosen her for a reason but he found himself confused by the apparent lack of cool by the host for Model Z. He had been taught in no uncertain way how not keeping one's cool and following pride blindly could put one on the wrong side and cause conflicts that changed nothing...

Although incomplete, Model H tapped into its own systems and was relieved to find most of its functions still intact. It activated its communicator and to its pleasure, he got an answer...

"Model Z, I am pleased to find that you have found a fitting host for your power. You seem to have strange modifications compared to Ciel's plans, did she improve you during the time I have spent enslaved by Serpent's vile forces?"

The communication had been in a language that Aile had not heard, one she could not understand... but Model Z and X had both heard. In a way, Model X had dreaded this day. He knew that inside of the four X Guardian models, the souls of the originals were contained... not like Model Z, who was a replica...

"Salutations Harpuia. It is I, Model X."

"Master X!" the voice was filled with shock for a moment. "But how?"

It always made the blue Biometal very uncomfortable to be called this way. It made him further uncomfortable when Model Z gave him that mental nudge that indicated that he was expected to act the way the X Guardian expected him to. It placed a sour taste into his mouth, a distinct guilt rising within him. But he knew that people were depending on him and as such, took upon the role that was expected of him. Thus, he proceeded to explain...

"This is a dual MegaMerge, my power and that of Model Z forming only one. The form that you see is the result. This is Aile, one of two youths to whom I am currently lending my power."

"I see..."

"Harpuia, I am aware that you must be exhausted. Your physical body must have been drained of all the energy it could spare and your abilities, abused without remorse. Still, we will require your aid. Will you fight by our side as Model H?"

"By your will. I have always served as a Guardian under you, Master X. My loyalty did not end with my first death. I will lend my power once more. However, if I may permit myself, I would like to voice out my concerns about the state of things to both you and your chosen host."

"Permission granted. Speak out freely, Model H."

The strange conversation ended. Due to the quick processing speed and the use of unique coding language, the whole dialogue had barely lasted a few seconds, just enough to make it seem like the green Biometal had hesitated before turning to Aile and speaking out...

"Do you think that will end this?"

Like Model H had not been expecting things to turn out this way, neither had the teen. "Huh?"

"Do you think that will end this?" he repeated.

Unfortunately, the girl seemed to be thick as she just stared at him, not understanding what he was bringing up. Sighing to himself internally, the green Biometal explained.

"All of this was started by a single man. Even if you destroy the Model W Core and stop Serpent... What's to stop another madman from rising up and taking his place? There have been others before Serpent, there will be others after him."

And then, she gave him the single worst answer she could have given him.

"How am I supposed to know that? What do I know is that Serpent is deceiving all of the people in this country! He is evil, a Maverick, letting people be killed while he sit in his office, preparing to sacrificing them all and lying to everyone! But I'm not letting him deceive him! I'm the only one that sees through it! I can't just let this happen! I can't!"

Model H recoiled. At this moment, he became thoroughly confused as to why this teenager was the Chosen One for both Model Z and Master X. The way she rambled, the sheer hatred in her eyes, the way her tone became even further high-pitched, turning into a demented scream...

Harpuia recognized this insanity. It was the insanity of a Maverick, a real Maverick.

He was instantly tempted to judge her, to dismiss her, to call to Master X and counsel him to leave her. She was unworthy. To slaughter through so many humans and Reploids and yet to ramble on about how she is the only sane one and everyone is blind, failing to understand that Serpent was the benefactor of so many and that she needed to tear down that facade? It was... it was... it was exactly the kind of madness he had fallen prey to, centuries ago, the same blindness to everything around him that had prevented him from rising against Copy-X when he revealed that he was unworthy of being Master X's successor, the same kind of madness that had kept him on the side of Neo Arcadia even when Zero, Master X's former closest friend, had chosen the Mavericks over Neo Arcadia.

An intense wave of guilt washed over the former X Guardian and he felt a profound sadness grip him, watching the teen. She had indeed done good, saving him from Serpent's clutches and the relief, knowing he wouldn't have to be strapped to some raptor Maverick anymore, was beyond words... but watching her, he couldn't help but feel sad.

He made his decision.

"Hmph!"

Aile stopped as Model H cleared his throat, or made the sound of clearing his throat as he lacked one. With her attention caught, the green Biometal spoke.

"Those humans we fought so hard to protect hundreds of years ago have been lulled into a false sense of security by the empty promise of peace." he said, his voice hard. But as he finished, his voice softened, turning more kind... and tired. "But I still believe our fighting had meaning. So, young hero, yes I will lend you my strength."

The Biometal paused, letting its words sink in and then continued. "Still, I am incomplete. Serpent warped my form and split me into two halves. This is my core, containing my primary data and consciousness but there exist another part, held by another Pseudoroid. You also mentioned the Model W Core. It is currently sealed inside of a vault, the door locked with a password. I normally hold one of those passwords but the split has fragmented the data on the password. Until you defeat the other Pseudoroid and recover my other half, I cannot give you my password."

"I understand." said Aile, nodding.

The green Biometal floated by her side and then, the teen smiled. It was now time to head back to base. Prairie and the others will be so happy, knowing she completed the mission and fought off one of Serpent's Mavericks!

* * *

There was an energic, happy spring to Aile's step as she walked down the halls of the Area X toward the control room. She couldn't wait to tell Prairie! Model X, Z, and H were all floating behind her, proofs of the mission's success. Indeed, things couldn't have gone better!

As the door to the main deck slid opened, Aile came in quickly, trying to make a grand entrance. "Prairie! I have-"

No one paid attention. Everyone was turned to the primary hologram screen, apparently not even hearing the teen. Everywhere she looked, no one was noticing her. She also noticed that Fleuve and Vent were standing near Prairie. What could everyone be looking at that would guarantee everyone's presence and make them so fascinated as not notice the return of their heroine? She looked up...

It was... a newsreport? Why would a newsreport be such an event? She fell silent, standing as she watched...

It seemed to be the picture of a power plant but it was incredibly smashed up. Large swats of the place had collapsed, there were large fires all over the place and craters that shown the use of heavy weapons. There were entire sectors that had completely collapsed or were prey to impossible to control fires. Large fire trucks had arrived and were dousing the fires with choking clouds of ice-augmented gas while ambulances were scrambling all over the place but the destruction was so great it was defeating their efforts. As the pictures flowed, Aile slowly began to recognize the power plant, with it looking somewhat ugly and old-fashioned with an abandoned, rusty antenna in a courtyard. She also recognized the pattern of the destruction, making its way from the front door all the way to the offices and ending with the antenna...

"Breaking news from Area E. Today, a Maverick appeared out of nowhere and began to rampage in the middle of the power plant owned by the Slither Inc. We do not have the exact count yet but at least two hundred dead and five hundred injured have been confirmed. Now we will pass to Ferdinand, the leading officer of the emergency services dealing with this crisis."

The picture of a middle-aged humanoid Reploid came on the screen. All around him, the sky was obscured with smoke, the fires large and impressive. Ambulance workers could be seen, dragging people out of the ruins, most of them in a sorry state. One of the employees, a human engineer, was sobbing as he was carried away. Another one dragged out was a female Reploid secretary, in a complete state of shock, just rocking herself, one of her arms missing, her legs just stumps. Most of the bodies were too mangled yet the rescuers could be seen, trying to reanimate them. The reporter and the humanoid Reploid both ducked as a deafening rumbling was heard, one of the sectors of the power plant collapsing from the damage.

"You'll excuse me if I am brief but I'm really needed out there. It's a scene of horror. Whatever was that Maverick, it caused some serious damage to structure, destroying vital parts of the infrastructure using a powerful military-grade Buster weapon and another one, seemingly a bladed weapon. There's dead and injured people all over the place and fires everywhere. I didn't see something this bad in years!"

"Do you think the building can be salvaged, mister Ferdinand?"

"Salvaged? We'll be lucky if half of the building doesn't collapse!"

Aile stared at the screen dumbfounded, her mouth dropping...

"Now to interview a few of the survivors..." the reporter turned to one of the survivors, sitting near an ambulance, some of the doctors having placed a blanket on her shoulders. Her eyes... she...

"I was just working at my desk when it barged in. It... it shouted at us something about Mavericks, I don't really remember. The Galleons wouldn't stop it, the security turrets wouldn't. Then, once it was done, it... it... just began to kill people at random, for no reason. It... it just wouldn't stop. I ran... I ran as fast as it could. It was killing everyone! The screams!... I..."

She began to sob. The reporter tried to get more information but the doctors just brushed her away. She turned to another survivor, an employee who was scratching the back of his head looking at the scene...

"Sir, how did you get out? Did you see the Maverick?"

The employee turned to face the reporter. He was a young human, barely out of his teenage years...

"I don't know. I was on the outskirts of the attacked area so I guess I got lucky. But I heard it looked somewhat like the Red Demon but different. Again, I don't know. I'm glad I didn't..."

Aile stood in total shock at the news. What did this meant? This...

This was unreal. She was a heroine. She had defeated a dangerous Maverick, trashed the evil plans of the Slither Inc., made the first step toward stopping Project Haven. That green Maverick, Hivolt, had even admitted it that they were doing evil stuff! She had seen the Cyber-elves! How... why... why?

The eyes of those poor people... they... they looked...

Away, she had to get away, away from this... horror show, away from those lies, away from... from...

She stumbled out of the hall, feeling dizzy. She didn't know where she was going. She... just wanted those images out of her mind. Those images...

... that secretary, she had stumps for legs... she had... she had cut them off. She was screaming when she did so. That man, he had no weapon. He screamed when he blasted his arm off. That other... this...

She lost her balance and let herself fall against the wall, sliding down it and sitting on the floor. She did not know how long she stayed like this but she then became aware that someone was walking past her. She looked up and saw Vent, his gaze hard, determined, cold. He stopped in his tracks but his gaze remained strictly facing ahead...

"They were Mavericks, you did good Aile."

"I... I don't know, Vent. Some of them... those secretaries I rounded up and then shot, they were no threat to me. All they did was beg for mercy. Were they Mavericks too? Did they deserve this? Did I just... lose control back there?"

"They were working for Serpent." he interrupted, his tone harsh suddenly. "They were Mavericks, all of them. Like those who killed our mothers. Never forget that."

He walked off, not adding a word and not expecting any. On one hand, he did make a point. Hivolt was working on Project Haven, using those Cyber-elves as a source of energy... but was everyone there truly like him, like Serpent? She... didn't know anymore. She wanted to dismiss them all but now, they had called her a Maverick. It felt so stupid back there, a Maverick someone a Maverick... but as she saw the newsreport, the sobbing, terrified survivors of her rampage telling their perspective on the attack... she wasn't so sure anymore. Sure, Hivolt had been a Maverick... but what does slaughtering all those people made her?

They had compared her to the Red Demon and the recounting of the attack... it had been in the same style too. What did it make her?

* * *

Fleuve's sigh was very loud as he scratched the back of his head. Prairie was looking down, unable to think of anything. The mysterious contact brought by the Red Demon was on the other side of the communication line, just as silent as them.

Then, Fleuve broke the silence.

"I hate that make that conclusion but a positive point is that debacle was self-limiting."

As expected, it earned him a glare from Prairie. Considering how venomous it was, he was thankful that there was no video feed for the mysterious contact. He wouldn't like to have two glares like this directed toward him.

"Fleuve, hundreds of people have been killed, millions-worth of zenny in damage have been inflicted and that is if they can contain the fires. That is not counting the power outage that this created. No operation in Guardian history have caused this much collateral damage."

"Maybe but they are all blaming the 'Red Demon's Daughter' for it rather than us."

This reply made Prairie stand up, her glare becoming even more venomous. Although Fleuve was painfully aware of the fact that he was rather short, this fact became somehow even more relevant as Prairie, despite her usual gentle nature, seemed to tower over him in such a way that one might think it was Sigma himself standing in front of him instead of the gentle commander of the Guardians.

"That's horrible, Fleuve!"

"But still true." It was the voice of the mysterious contact, breaking through. Prairie wanted to glare at the contact but it was far away, hiding who knew where. Still, she couldn't believe that she would say something like this at such a time...

"Look, miss Prairie. It is a grim thought but we cannot undo the damage from this debacle. What we can do is learn from it and plan our next move accordingly. Due to Aile using the Model X and Z dual MegaMerge and maintaining it through the entire attack, the people and the Slither Inc. alike now blame a fictional Red Demon lookalike as the source of this attack, leaving the Guardians free of suspicion. Likewise, we have now taken back on of the four X Guardian Biometals and disrupted a major Slither Inc. operation. This is our first major blow against the Slither Inc."

"So that's how it'd going to be?" went Prairie, none too happy about this. "Striking from the shadows, slaughtering people and pining the blame on imaginary Mavericks, lying to the world like Serpent does? That makes us just as much Mavericks as he is!"

"Look, I'm as unhappy about this as you are." said Fleuve. "But we can't go on and reveal that this was one of our agents doing this. Serpent would be all too happy to label us as Mavericks and then we'd lose our opportunity to stop his plans. I'm not saying we should do like he does, either. Look... this was just one big mistake. We'll just have to make sure something like this doesn't happen again."

Prairie wanted to keep glaring at Fleuve but slowly, the arguments were starting to filter into her mind and she realized that no matter how much she hated this, she couldn't go back in time to undo what Aile had done. Thus, all she could do was sigh loudly and slump into a nearby, conveniently placed chair.

"I guess you're right..."

"Well, since this is all good and done, I guess I can return to my work right?" asked Fleuve.

"Yeah, you may. I just need to think for a while."

The mechanic nodded and then walked out of the room, leaving Prairie alone. As the door closed, Ciel locked the door remotely and then brought up the video feed from Prairie's side, her image finally appearing to her...

"I'm sorry Alouette, I'm really sorry..."

"Please call me Prairie, sis. And I guess you're right. Apologies would not work..."

"My offer still stand. Zero has agreed, too. If any attacks are required-"

"No sis." cut the pink-wearing Guardian commander. "I won't use that red Maverick as a hitman, no matter how evil Serpent may be. We will unmask the Slither Inc. via legitimate manners. I will not commend the use of Maverick methods."

Ciel frowned deeply. She could understand why Alouette didn't want this to be done but she also couldn't see that Serpent's political cover was too thick, too elaborate for them to brute force through. It just wouldn't happen. He was about as untouchable as a member of the Sage Trinity. But there was also an assumption that Ciel disliked there. Prairie was making the assumption that such methods were a luxury, that she somehow enjoyed using them. She was taking no pleasure in this at all. She never had, never would.

"Then I suggest that you have Aile and Vent be sent out only when MegaMerged when dealing with the Slither Inc. as to prevent Serpent from declaring you Mavericks."

Much to Ciel's displeasure, the Guardian commander just crossed her arms, obviously bent on not listening.

"look, I-"

"No, you listen for once sis!" suddenly went Prairie. "This isn't the times of the Resistance anymore! We're fighting top stop one Maverick, not Neo Arcadia! It seems you've been living so long as a Maverick that you forgot how it is to stand among those who are their targets."

... and Prairie brought up the one point Ciel had wished she wouldn't have brought up.

"Alouette, listen. I know you still hold a grudge because I didn't accept to follow Legion's guidelines..."

"My name is Prairie!" the Guardian commander stood up. "I'm not that unchanging, eternal kid anymore, sis! I've grown up, I'm an adult now. Unlike you, I'm not stuck in the past, in mind and body."

"Alouette, they took away my family, my husband, my children, my life..."

"You had your time, Ciel! Hundreds of years! Don't you think it's enough?"

Ciel frowned deeply. She shook her head slowly. For some reason, what she was hearing just made her feel so... depressed. To hear this coming from her... it was tearing at her. She didn't care if she had this argument many times already, it was still having the same effect every time.

"Are you listening to yourself, Alouette? You're truly going to let Serpent proceed with Project Haven? You're truly going to let Legion's view, as dictated by him, decide the fate of the people in this country? They don't deserve to die, Prairie. I created the Guardians to protect the people... not to be a facade like the Maverick Hunters were to Neo Arcadia or like the Slither Inc. is to Serpent."

This was going nowhere and both knew it. Prairie and Ciel both sighed, a feeling of sadness replacing the frustration. Ciel could understand why Alouette had made the decision and did not blame her for it. After all, Alouette had been designed as a child and with the passing years, this form had ceased to fit her mind. She had wanted to become an adult, to grow to have a life of her own and Ciel understood the reason. But this did not mean that it was right to force mortality on everyone either. Ciel... she had been happy before and once, Zero had finally been able to get his Maverick status revoked and live in peace with the world he worked so hard to protect. The gift of mortality, for them, had been a disaster that destroyed their lives and made them Mavericks once more, forcing them to hide and to live outside of society again.

She couldn't help but wonder if an in-between was possible. For a solution that would please Alouette and the numberless people like her who wished for aging while pleasing those who were comfortable, living through the centuries the same way they always had. But today was not this day and both herself and Prairie knew of it. Despite the differences in philosophy, Alouette and her were still friends and right now, they needed to deal with the issue of stopping Serpent's plans. And this meant agreeing on what to do.

"Look... I can't force you to do something you do not want to so I will respect your decision. Still, I believe that Aile and Vent should be MegaMerged during missions as to protect themselves. They have both been sighted at Giga Aspis's base, on the highway, and now at the power plant. It is only a matter of time before they make the connection and start trying to eliminate them. If you will not agree to follow my plans, then I will understand. But I ask that you think of their safety at least... they're not just Chosen Ones, they're people too. I... wouldn't want to see anything happen to them."

Prairie looked at Ciel's face on the display. The worry was genuine and for a moment, she felt guilt creeping inside of her. Unlike her, Ciel had specifically sent Zero to find Vent and Aile, to save them from the Maverick raid that had almost claimed their lives. Then, she had juggled missions between Giro and Zero, leading them, raising them from the background, protecting them. But even more than preparing them for their destiny, she had tried to make them happy, to make them understand the world. She hadn't sent them to train or direct them into covert missions. They had lived with Giro as transporters, seeing the world, Giro acting as a foster parent under the guidance of Zero. In fact, the two were not meant to be introduced to combat or even training for many years.

And now, she was denying them their only protection against Serpent's goons on principles that were not really relevant anyway. She didn't stop her agents from carrying Busters with them after all...

"I'll... I'll think about it sis."

"Thank you, this is all I ask for." she said. Ciel did not shutdown the communication line immediately, instead hesitating... and then, she decided herself. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We can't always agree. I'm still glad for your help."

The two finally smiled again at each others, the pressure starting to slowly vanish. "Take care sis."

"You too, Al... Prairie."

The communication was cut and the hologram screen disappeared.

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


	7. ZX, The Lady and the Maverick

**OFF**: So... why did it take over a year to update this story? A lot of things, actually. I've worked on this chapter, bit by bit but I admit that some things really got in the way. One of which being Honor The Past, one of my other stories, which soaked up all of my time.

Well, inspiration finally returned and I forced myself to finally complete this chapter. It's a bit shorter than the previous one but I hope it will be worth it.

Note that technically, this chapter take place at the same time as the previous one (basically, it reveal why Zero left and what he's been doing while Aile was at the power plant).

Now for some comments and responses.

**To Fanfictionlover4444**: Chapters are divided in the equivalent of stages in the original games. Basically, the events of what would be a single level is a chapter in this story. Since I added scene breaks, you can always pause at them if you think individual chapters are too long. There is also the fact that not every chapter is the same in length and overall content ; the previous chapter was the biggest one in the story yet, for example.

**To RTNknight**: The story is not discontinued, as you can see. I simply had to deal with real life and other things on the internet. And yes, this is a point I noticed in the MMZ serie as a whole ; Zero struggles with the meaning of his existence. His promise turn out to be a crutch (as MMZ2 and especially MMZ4 drive home). It also create a rather eerie contrast between earlier games and MMZ4 ; in MMZ1 to 3, he do risky and crazy things but he's determined. In MMZ4, he do blatantly suicidal things and doesn't seem to care anymore if he'll return or not. His dialogue with Craft at the end of the first Ragnarok stage pretty much shows that he lost all faith in his own ability to make a difference.

I hope you will find this chapter to be worth the wait.

* * *

**Megaman ZX**

The Lady and the Maverick

* * *

As the last door slid open, Zero was greeted by a strong gust of wind that pushed a flurry of snowflakes straight into his frame. The temperature drop had been felt through the airlock-like hall that separated the outer area from the perimeter of the Ragnarok crash site and briefly, he wondered why people had chosen to make the weather systems for this area cover it in snow rather than in vegetation if they truly hated this place so much and what it represented.

Still, it wasn't too important. It was just a routine check and once that's done, he'll be back to Area X to check on Vent's and Aile's progress.

As he stepped out of the hall and stepped into the crash site proper, the red Reploid almost slipped, his eyes widening as his boot moved past its intended spot and kept moving, threatening to make him lose his balance. He quickly rebalanced himself and then cursed himself internally. He should have known that the area's floor would be a metallic cover hidden under meters of ice rather than a proper ground covered with snow. After all, why would Legion waste time creating a proper environment for a place they wanted to forget?

Still, he couldn't help but sigh. Looking around, the area was just as desolate as it always had been. In the distance, covered in snow and ice was a structure that made the crimson Reploid shudder from the mere sight. Little of the research center was recognizable now, only one of the small skyscraper-like towers being left intact by the brutal, incessant blizzards that had swept through the area through the years in an attempt to cover the proofs of the past.

The memory of his failure to contain the threat of Serpent still burnt into his mind even after all those years. If he hadn't overworked himself to the point of collapsing and let him rampage around the site, maybe he wouldn't have a Maverick label today and Ciel would be able to lead the Guardians openly like before...

He sighed to himself internally. Such thoughts are useless. The past cannot be changed and he must focus on making a difference right now. They did what they thought was best and he had no idea that Serpent would break out of his restraints so quickly let alone cause so much destruction. It was pretty meaningless blaming himself for that, especially that it has been years since.

Zero quickly activated his transmission systems.

"This is Zero, are you receiving Ciel?"

"Apart from the wind covering much of your voice, it's loud and clear." Her voice broke the Reploid's grim mood, making him smile and nod to himself in satisfaction.

The communicator had been reconfigured to function perfectly despite the blizzards and radiations of the crash site and judging from how clear Ciel's voice had been, it worked perfectly. The signal was strong and consistent too.

With that said, he looked around, focusing on the research center in the distance while Ciel analyzed the data his systems were receiving from her side. He could not see any barricades or Galleons forming up to stop him but then, it would be foolish to assume too quickly. If Serpent has tried to take control of the area then the place will surely be infested with foxholes and bunkers.

"I'm not detecting any signals coming from anywhere in the area. The entire area seems inactive from preliminary scans. If there's anything out there, it's not emitting any signals."

Didn't necessarily meant there was nothing. He's not exactly a walking area scanner but at least, it meant that there was nothing with an active scanning or transmission system. Galleons usually had appalling radio discipline and tended to give away their presence by abusing transmission systems all the time so this was a good thing he guessed.

"Wait... there's a signal, very weak, coming from the research center."

Okay, maybe he spoke too quickly. Murphy must have heard that last one.

"It's a distress signal!"

And that was completely unexpected. A distress signal? Here, at this time? No one came to this place, not even Raiders. And Raiders, being illegal smugglers of lost technology and artifacts, didn't announce their failures with distress signals usually. This was most confusing to say the least...

"Could be one of Serpent's goons who ran into trouble, trying to break through the security systems of the vault, he said, thinking up of the most likely scenario.

There was a pause and then, Ciel's voice came to him again. "Impossible to say, the signal's too weak. I'm worried about what this could mean. Could you please investigate, Zero?"

"I came here to do exactly that, he said, cracking his knuckles and adjusting his pose.

On one hand, it was true that navigating through a snow-covered landscape with the wind constantly howling in your face was difficult but Zero had seen much worse blizzards in the past. Compared to the storms that he had seen at the south and north poles, the blizzards that swept through the Ragnarok crash site were comparatively tame. He had lost his footing earlier simply because he hadn't paid attention. And anyway, he already knew all too well this area although he wished he didn't.

So making his way forward, following the signal, was relatively easy. He walked his way through the uneven terrain, making sure not to step on any sharp slopes, slipping between debris to shield himself partially from the blizzards. His progress was relatively quick and he was pleasantly surprised to not find any spots with weakened ice on the way. Soon enough, he was in front of the complex's primary doors...

The red Reploid brought his hands to his hair and quickly brushed it with his fingers, taking off the copious amount of snow that had got stuck in it before shaking off a bit of the ice that had formed on his gloves and boots. He then examined the door and instantly, his smile faded. Well, whoever was emitting that signal had obviously done the smart thing as the front doors were just as badly broken as he last remembered, the doors broken down and yet still stuck in the frame, the control panel half-broken on the wall just next to it.

Of course, whoever would come here would have removed or repaired the doors but broken them again after getting in to hide the incursion and make it hard for mundane threats to follow in. Zero approached the control panel, wondering if it was busted. The panel itself seemed good enough but as he grabbed it, he looked behind it to see most of the cords severed. He then looked at the hole where the cords' remains hanged from...

"You think the control panel's salvageable?" asked Zero, activating his communicator device.

There was a short pause as he assumed, correctly, that Ciel thought about it and assembled her data. "I'm sorry Zero but it's too badly damaged and even if you had to correct tools, there does not seem to be any power."

The crimson Reploid sighed and then approached the doors, again, his hands glowing as he activated the Z-Knuckle systems. He knew perfectly that those doors were made of armored alloy; they were designed to resist even orbital cannon bombardment. He had no illusion as to his chances of destroying them. But then, he didn't need to. All he needed was to tear them off of the frame using the Z-Knuckle.

Zero took a deep breath in and then lashed forward, grabbing into the left door. He pulled with all of his strength, using the Z-Knuckle to increase his physical strength to an incredible level. The Z-Knuckle had already been impressive in its ability to tear off stuff but the crimson Reploid was internally shocked at the upgraded weapon's strength. Yet despite the sheer amount of pressure he put into pulling into the door, it was only moving slowly, the door half-embedded and frozen in place, the two doors and frame forming a solid amalgam of broken metal. The metallic noise was grating and the doors almost seemed as if they would be torn off... but a very unpleasant sound came to Zero.

CRACK!

The spots where he had grabbed the left door gave away throwing him backward with great force. The crimson Reploid performed a very graceful backward flight that ended with a large frozen metallic pillar, Zero hitting it head first. The world spun for half a minute, the blizzard blowing snow all over his face and hair once again before he finally got a hold of himself and got up, dropping the useless pieces of metal and putting a hand on his temple.

"Zero! Are you alright? Zero!"

"Er... yeah. I'm alright... I think, replied Zero, finally answering to Ciel's calls.

"What happened? There was some sound and your signal went out for half a minute! I thought it was a trap."

"I failed to open the doors and the amount of pressure I put into the door turned into air time. I guess I must have knocked myself out. Sorry to have worried you."

There was a short pause... "Are you alright Zero?"

"Just a bit dizzy but no real damage otherwise. Anyway, I'll try a different route. The laboratory's sewers should do, right?"

"Yes but I had placed many security systems inside. There may still be some functional ones inside."

"Right, I'll be careful. Zero out."

With that done, he sighed to himself. He guessed it was his life's lot that no mission he took ever went the way he wished it would. Ha well, it kept things interesting at least.

Taking care not to slip, Zero slowly walked toward the sewer's surface exit. He knew all too well where it was located. Although logically they should have not been made large enough to allow people to wander inside, the research station had been made with the idea that if something went wrong, multiple evacuation routes had to be available to the research team. As such, the sewers had been made large enough for people to get through but had been packed with security systems to prevent Maverick intrusion. With some luck, the systems should still be active; their destruction or inactivity would mean a worse alternative than having to find a way to neutralize them...

And as the crimson Reploid made it to the side of the research station, he couldn't help but stop. Just from the entrance, it was obvious that his fears had been confirmed.

Instead of the hidden surface access that should be there, there was a massive hole leading down into the sewers. Judging that the hole was shaped like one gigantic crater, the Reploid guessed that high explosives had been used... which meant that this wasn't the work of a mundane Maverick. Mundane Mavericks would have simply slipped in or forced it open with multiple attacks, not blown it up with a single discharge.

It didn't take long for him to reach the edge and then, he slowly peeked in, making sure not to expose his head to any potential snipers that might await him inside.

Looking inside, he had the confirmation that the sewers had been compromised. The water had been drained and the snow at the bottom formed only a thin layer, countless foot prints still visible. A single machine was moving back and forth inside silently. The blue and green shield-bearing spike-shaped machine was a classic design, a mass-produced and very weak version of an ancient Neo Arcadian design and a characteristic Slither Inc. adaptation of the old design. However, its color scheme and the fact that the Slither Inc. emblem had been scrubbed off its sides was suspicious. Mavericks usually didn't retain the intelligence or foresight to remove their emblems which implied that this was a deliberate covert operation.

Zero put two fingers on his helmet, making extra sure that his sensors were getting everything. The machine was no threat but if he was spotted, this would alert whoever was inside and make them panic. Thankfully, his Time Stopper EX Skill would be useful in this situation. Most Mechaniloid-class machines and low level Mavericks tended to consider a Time Stopper surge as having been only a temporary malfunction. Given he was long gone by the time it went off, he'd have no problem sneaking by it.

He felt the familiar feeling go through him as he took out his Buster handgun and began charging it. Sneaking around was admittedly not a skill expected of a bright crimson Reploid with an infamous reputation but he had learnt, especially during the Neo Arcadia era, the value of not attracting every single enemy in a city-wide radius to him with huge explosions. Despite his tendency to be able to beat off ambushes, it was always best to avoid and spoof them altogether.

He waited until the Mechaniloid was facing away from the direction leading deeper into the sewers and then shot at it with the Buster. The shot slammed straight into the Mechaniloid and delivered its viral charge, paralyzing it. With as much as speed as he could muster, Zero jumped down the edge of the wall, making sure to keep a hand and a boot on the wall to slow down his descent, and then dashed past the Mechaniloid before it could recover. By the time the Mechaniloid noted its sudden, inexplicable shutdown, the red Reploid was already gone.

Of course, Zero was not foolish enough to think that this lone, weak Mechaniloid could possibly be the only defense system put in place to keep undesirables out. It had been only a perimeter watchdog, a sacrificial lamb whose purpose had been to sound the alarm before being destroyed in case of an attack. This also left Zero to wonder if the original security systems installed by Ciel had been completely overcome.

He got his answer as he began to make his way toward the research station. The wind was dying down and he could see the lights from the emergency system barely lighting the insides of the sewers. The floor was damp yet didn't have the water it should have. Judging from the lack of shots and the various marks on the walls, he could already guess that much fighting had occurred. The systems had obviously been very effective as his boots couldn't stop hitting the bodies of mangled Galleons all over the floor but the remains of blasted turrets on the ceiling and walls also shown that it hadn't been enough.

It was then that he noticed the trio of large blue face-like turrets. Those were a definitive 'keep out' sign and the proof that the research station had indeed been compromised. Thankfully, this type of turret was mostly blind and designed to fend off mundane Mavericks. He could blow them up one by one with charge shots without the remaining ones ever noticing they were being destroyed one by one. And considering the cheap armor given to these, he wouldn't need to use any of his heavier weapons or EX Skills either.

Of course, the main problem here was that the Mechaniloid at the other end of the sewer was not quite as blind as those three turrets and none of his weapons are particularly stealthy. The least noisy method of defeating those turrets would be to use the Z-Saber to split them in two and even then, this was given he used just the right amount of power. Even then, most machines tended to self-destruct violently when compromised, making most methods pointless. And of course, going back to destroy the Mechaniloid wouldn't do; they would notice that the signal with it was gone and whoever he was trying to sneak upon would thus notice his presence.

Unless...

Well, that might work.

The silence inside of the tunnel was suddenly broken as the sewers shook violently. The ceiling began to crack at some spots and the Mechaniloid at the end of the tunnel found itself on its side as the floor moved underneath its wheels. The three turrets perceived movement and quickly turned, removing their shields making them look like faces opening their mouth. As their spheres of freezing liquid impacted the perceived threat, the floor slowly stopped shaking, revealing their target as having been a piece of the ceiling that had crumbled from the violent and short shake.

The threat having been a false alarm, the three turets deactivated while the lone Mechaniloid used its shield to push itself back on its wheels before turning to identify the intruder. Identifying it as merely loose rocks from an earthquake caused by the blizzard outside, the Mechaniloid transmitted the data and then resumed its patrol.

Zero was smirking to himself as he walked through the service door leading out of the sewers and into the research station proper. It had been a gamble to climb one of the vertical shafts and cause an earthquake in hopes of causing a false alarm, allowing him to dash past the turrets while they were focusing on rocks. He knew that if those turrets had been of any decent quality, with better AIs or the ability to track multiple targets, his ruse wouldn't have worked. Still, it had paid off and he kept the advantage of surprise over whoever was inside of this place.

He had cut off his transmitter for now and had reduced his scanner and emitters to passive mode only. Radio silence was essential to make sure that they wouldn't be able to guess his presence by detecting the transmissions between him and Ciel. On one hand, he always felt a bit nervous as some of the worst moments in his life were moments during missions where his radio had gone out. On another hand, he had gone on countless missions all over Innerpeace without radio support and nothing bad had happened.

He looked around as the service door closed behind him. The research station was just as he had expected. The structure, although well-designed, had decayed due to the extreme cold affecting the metal structure. The walls, ceiling, and floor were mostly stable but most of the equipment was long damaged and rusted beyond repair. The presence of the intruders was very noticeable through the serie of lamps that had been installed everywhere on the walls and ceilings, the alternate electrical system they had installed clashing with the original internal cables. He had no doubt that the halls would be infected with Galleons who unlike the Mechaniloids he had just fooled, had the intelligence necessary to see through his tricks. The crimson Reploid was, after all, not created for subtlety and was very much aware of it.

Thankfully, he knew the layout of the research station and water had a tendency to thoroughly wreck computer systems and machinery. Being that most of the location had been flooded, it meant that half of the station couldn't be accessed by the mundane Reploid. Thankfully, Zero had been designed so that he was able to make his way through underwater areas with very little problems. The temperature was not getting any better but it was still something his systems could easily shrug off.

So rather than head through the well-lit halls and follow the trail of lamps, he found the nearby stairwell and walked down it, feeling the freezing water as he walked down it until his head was submerged.

As the crimson Reploid made his way down, he couldn't help but notice that he couldn't see the floor on the lower level, confirming that the enemy had not infesting the area. With a quick command to his own systems, micro-lamps on his helmet activated themselves, lighting up the way ahead.

Apart from some fish that the light scared off, the red Reploid was pleasantly surprised by the lack of enemies down there. With his knowledge of the research station's layout and the fact that the lower area was still flooded, he was now sure to take his opponents by surprise. But first of all, he needs to discover what they're here for...

Many theories were going through his mind and then there was the distress signal too. His scanners could still detect it and with the better signal he had received in the sewers and now the even better signal here, he could start to guess what was its exact source.

Quietly and swiftly, Zero began to run through the flooded area. Most ruins tended to have Mavericks in them but the research station was almost completely empty except for animals. The silence inside of the station was almost eerie compared to the constant noise everywhere else. In a way, it reminded the red Reploid of the days before the Ciel System had been spread, before the environment had been revived. Ruins of cities that stretched for miles with only the dried, decayed remains of Reploids and humans as proof that anyone had once lived there. Massive underground vaults filled with the starved or gutted remains of humanity's last stands, a grim and yet depressing reminder that before Omega's rampage the world had once been a beautiful place.

It made Zero uneasy. It was something that had always haunted his mind as the memories of his former life trickled back into his mind. His mind was still fuzzy but he had learnt from his past memories that Weil hadn't been the first to try and destroy the planet with a space station. In fact, the original impact, at Area Zero ironically, had been far more destructive. The details of it were still fuzzy but he knew that the world had been damaged, reduced to deserts and that Reploids and humanity had moved on and repaired the world... only for Omega to tear it down so much that it was reduced to what he had seen during his days in the Resistance.

It was almost unbelievable. Humanity and Reploids had numbered in the billions, their cities stretching for miles, their glory seemingly invincible. Human and Reploid had stood proud, ready to head to space to begin a glorious civilization that would last forever.

Because of Sigma and Omega, that dream was torn down so completely...

Zero's mind tended to wander through long missions. He had existed for so long and he knew that he had been at the source of so much destruction. He didn't remember it yet but Sigma's fall from grace made the red Reploid guess that it probably was him, not Sigma, that had been the true source of the original Maverick Virus. He had guessed it from his knowledge of Omega. But still, something didn't fit in now that he thought about it all.

He was not going to blame himself for the destruction. He remembered having felt guilt for it all for an awfully long time but it was something he had never regained. Even before losing his memory, he had rejected the ways of the Mavericks and had tried his best to help those he cared for. That he hadn't made miracles was not something he could blame himself for.

No...

The real thing that bothered him was the pattern. Omega and Sigma... and then that strange person that he had glimpsed after the Ragnarok crash... He had that uneasy feeling that there was a hand moving them all, a hidden enemy that had steered things all along. He couldn't shake the feeling. The nightmares had come back. They were only once in a while and they passed so quickly but the sheer horror he felt from them...

As he passed near one of the stairwells, his attention shifted back to what he was doing. His mind had always tended to wander a tiny bit during missions and he cursed himself for losing attention. Sure, there wasn't much urgency right now but he was here for a reason after all!

So he stopped and listened...

A few voices, one of them feminine. This was significant as mass-produced Mechaniloid units were not given a gender identity. This meant that whoever was talking was an actual Reploid or human, probably an officer of the force walking in here. He was too far to really hear anything but the girly voice was angry enough that he could guess it probably had to do with his stunt earlier.

Conveniently, as a Reploid, he had the ability to increase the effectiveness of his senses. Normally, this could backfire as an explosion at close range when audio sensors were set to be sensitive could make a Reploid deaf but since he was undetected so far, he guessed it was safe to increase his systems' sensitivity. A few mental adjustments, a bit of compensation for the distortion due to being underwater and... ha! There we go!

"-tigated? You are all incompetent!"

"Lady Lurerre, we have followed our orders to the letter."

"And it has not come to your mind that the chances of a Mechaniloid shutting down randomly followed by a convenient cave in right above a structurally sound part of the ceiling are close to zero?"

"It is probably due to a minor malfunction. And rocks fall all the time in this station. Our algorithms..."

"Your algorithms are worthy of a two weeks-old Mechaniloid! You will check the sewer access pass at once! IT'S AN ORDER!"

Footsteps of something large and heavy. Stomping off angrily from the looks of it. Zero adjusted his systems back to normal sensitivity and nodded to himself. Seems that although his stunt did delay the enemy detecting him, the smarter ones are guessing that they're no longer alone. Still, it suited him. Now that he's in the complex, he has the advantage and with his mobility and knowledge of the area, he can use this to keep his foes off-balance.

Still... Lady Lurerre...

He had heard about her. One of the big names in the Slither Inc., Lady Lurerre was a very small aquatic Pseudoroid, unfit for combat, physically weak. She was however renowned for her cunning and was one of the most respected officers among the Slither Inc. due to many daring and successful rescue operations. It dawned upon him that one of the more intelligent officers being dispatched for a covert operation made perfect sense. Given she had seen straight through his little distraction, it seemed the rumors were true, which did not please him. Well, on the bright side, if he can get through her bodyguards he should be home free.

* * *

Lady Lurerre couldn't help but shake her head at the sheer stupidity of her minions... well, temporary minions. Useless, all of them. For a moment she found herself wishing she had brought her actual employees with her on this operation but then, she knew this was wishful thinking. If she actually brought her employees they might start asking uncomfortable questions about the mission and if any of them was found or bribed Legion or even worse Serpent might be able to trace the operation back to her.

No... it was required for her to use an independent security force made up of political Mavericks kept in the dark regarding her goals and kept happy with generous paychecks. Of course, right now, she found herself questioning her choice of Mavericks to hire.

"Boss, this kind of strange thing happen all the time. This isn't one of your precious Legion-controlled zones. Things like this happen all the time. You stop asking questions and keep on trucking after a while. Those who look for trouble definitely find it and never return to tell about it. So relax and be thankful whatever Maverick got in is just knocking people out."

Yeah, she was definitely regretting this. It did not help that she was looking up to the Galleon command unit currently talking back to her. Most of the other Pseudoroids looked down on their minions which made it easy to intimidate them. She had no such luxury and right now, it was making her wish her Biometal fragment gave her proper armor instead of that monstrous fish drone. Sure, it was powerful and did a lot of good to her Buster but at the moment? What she wouldn't give for a few more feet to her height...

"Look, I don't care if this happens all the time outside of Legion territory! I think we're having a mole and I pay you to keep them out!"

"Boss, you wanted the perimeter secured, well it's secured. If you want us to compromise our security network and run the risk of having any actual Reploids or humans walk in just to have my men run after some worthless Maverick, then it's your decision. But those men are under my command and I'm not compromising security on a simple hunch."

'Incompetent moron' was all Lurerre could think at the moment. Did he seriously think that a random mindless viral Maverick or wild Mechaniloid could cause the type of distraction she had seen earlier? For a moment, she found herself wishing she had hired the Maverick Hunters instead. Sure, they were a bunch of trigger-happy has-beens hanging in ruins who jumped at the opportunity to loot, plunder, and generally mess things up but at least, they had actual military training, discipline, and tactics. Her current men were total buffoons. Needless to say, she'll be strongly suggesting to all of her fellow officers to never hire from that group ever again.

Though, on second thought, given the Maverick Hunters' tendency to wreck everything wherever they go and the fact that this was a covert operation revolving around the recovery of old, fragile, damaged technology, she guessed it wouldn't have been a good idea. Sure, they would have caught that Maverick sneaking around but they'd have wrecked everything and made her entire operation meaningless.

On third thought... given what this research center was, the Maverick Hunters would have probably asked uncomfortable questions based on the place alone and on the radiations.

"Alright but if I learn of a Maverick touching even a single circuit off the computer vault, I'll pay you with peanuts!"

With that said, she turned around and began to walk her way back toward the outer halls of the research station. She knew perfectly what was at the core of the research center and why the vault was as solidly locked as it was. Given that radiation leaked from it despite the monstrously hardened bunker walls, it was best if she remained as far from the core as possible. After all... she had seen firsthand what the effects of those radiations had on the brain of people.

It was the whole reason why she was in this place, after all.

* * *

Of course, Zero should have known better.

Sure, he managed to lose the guards and all that but as he finally emerged and reached the central area, the signal's strength indicated he was approaching the source of it... and well, it was back out of the water, in the complex proper, beyond the door just above him. In short, it was through the door leading to the central construction and storage wing of the research center.

It was an open area, right next to the vault housing the Biometal W Core, with the sewer network stopping before it. In short, he'd have to stop his whole subtlety approach and make a frontal assault.

Well, it was not a total loss he thought to himself as he finally pulled himself out of the frigid water and approached the heavy door. His whole sneaking stunt meant that he was beyond the perimeter established by the Slither Inc. forces. Once he'll trigger the alarm, it will take time for the forces on the perimeter to break off of their patrol routes to intercept him.

Still, some things were not adding up. This was just too easy, especially now that he knew who he was up against; Lady Lurerre was infamous for being a very weak Reploid but for compensating by being a brilliant leader leading elite forces. The clowns he had outwitted were not elites by far and from her rant earlier, she shared his opinion. Why would Lurerre not come here with her regulars if this was a Slither Inc. operation?

Anyway, with subtlety now irrelevant, he guessed he could now break radio silence. Ciel would probably have her input to this entire situation.

He turned on the communicator.

"Ciel, I'm inside."

There was a brief moment of static and then, the reply came. "Receiving you perfectly. How is it going so far?"

"I'm within enemy territory but I'm detecting the signal coming from an enemy-controlled area. I judged secrecy irrelevant."

"You're sure everything is alright?" Zero couldn't help but smile a bit as she asked him the obvious.

"No one's around and it will take many minutes for them to home in to my position. I know it's a shock but my communicator still works when I'm not being shot at."

Zero knew that by communicating with Ciel like this, the enemy would detect the radio waves and know where he is. Still, he indeed knew that it would take time for the closest patrol to reach his position and this helped relieve a bit of the tension.

"Trying to break old habits? Anyway, I'm on stand-by. Send your progress on the mission when ready."

He nodded to himself and then compiled all of the visual and audio data he gathered after establishing radio silence and transmitted it to Ciel. It would take quite some time for Ciel to process the data; she lacked extensive cybernetic implants and would have to view the data the old-fashioned way. However, since the trade-off was complete immunity to Model W's influence, it was more than acceptable. Besides, Zero knew what to do next already.

"Got the data. What can you tell me quickly about the mission so far?"

"Lady Lurerre is leading a covert operation of some kind, sniffing around the crash site research center. I got no idea what she's here for but her men are sloppy, unprofessional. She's aware of it, too. Something don't add up."

"I'll look into it. Please be careful."

The transmission ended, Zero knew it was only a matter of time before Lurerre's goons would come to him and start shooting at him. Well, too bad for them; they won't get to shoot at him if he shoot at them first.

Approaching the door, he saw that Lurerre's men had installed cables all over the places, connecting to the door. Power coursed through its systems and upon detecting Zero's presence, the door slid open revealing a bunch of startled Galleons who had not expected someone to come at all.

"Darn, said the Galleons as Zero took out his Buster handgun and pointed it at them.

A few explosions later, Zero walked into the central room to the noise of alarm sirens. The view that greeted him was somewhat familiar. The area was one giant room that stretched vertically into the ruins of one of the center's towers. Large, jagged rusted cables ran through the walls, the remnants of elevators that had been installed back then to ferry personnel and equipment through the complex. The place was just as ruined as it was back when Serpent had rampaged through it though some makeshift support columns and bridges could seen all over the place, undoubtedly installed by the various Slither Inc. goons.

What was however new was the capsules in the corners, the crates, the containers for chemicals. Apparently the Slither Inc. had been conducting experiments here, judging from the lab equipment and judging from the signal coming from the computer room at the top of this area, he had a strong feeling that he'd find their lab and probably all of their files in that particular room.

Even as he watched, doors on the higher floors opened as patrol squads began to march in to intercept him.

"IT'S THE RED DEMON! GET HIM!"

How cute. Well, if they want to try to stop him, they are welcome to try. He didn't bother shooting at them; considering that soon every single Slither Inc. soldier in the area would be barging in there, it would be pointless trying to kill them all anyway. Sure, he could probably kill a lot of them but he was on ground level with enemies coming from literally every side. That's bad odds, even for him.

So instead, he activated his dash system and went straight for the nearest ramp. The remnants of the Galleons who had been in the room first raised their Busters and fired them. Zero didn't bother to dodge and felt pain flare through his body as the energy blasts slammed into his armor. Surprisingly, he didn't feel as much pain or suffered as much damage as he thought he would; those weapons were better than civilian-grade weapons but were not up to the level of Slither Inc.'s regular weapons.

This, more than anything else, confirmed that although led by Lurerre, those were probably not her regulars. Why she didn't bring her true security force was a question he pushed out of his mind as he focused on the task at hand.

As he dashed past the squad of Galleons, he unsheathed the Z-Saber and then kicked into the floor, sending himself into a rolling motion and turning himself into a giant buzzsaw for a moment. For a moment, he effectively became a man-sized meatgrinder, sending copious amount of gore and body parts flying around as he literally tore apart the squad.

The sight of the carnage caused a pause in the Galleons' fire. It was only a few seconds but it was enough of an opening for the crimson Reploid who wasted no time in sending himself jumping up the nearest ramp. He had to keep moving or else he'd be hit by all the Galleons streaming into the room.

"Don't just stand there! Shoot him!" yelled out a Galleon to the side of one of the doors.

That officer had the right idea and got the security forces to focus their fire. He also acted unwisely by revealing himself to Zero as an officer. Midway through a jump to another ramp, the red Reploid sheathed his Z-Saber and pointed his Buster handgun in the direction of the important sounding unit. A blue fireball-like energy blast tore through the area and reduced the officer's body from the waist up to bloody viscera, silencing him.

The answer was spectacular. Buster shots went flying from every direction, slamming into the bridge. Zero's narrowed as he tried to go as fast as he could, shots whistling by as they barely missed, some brushing against his hair and burning some strands, one or two slamming into his shoulders, blackening the armor and drawing blood. Many more shots slammed into the bridge he was using, turning it to swiss cheese, causing the thing to creak dangerously even as he broke his dash to half-leap over many of the holes that were forming even as he attempted to cross.

As he leaped from the bridge, the fire from the units causing it to break in two, sending metallic, blackened, burning splinters everywhere. Zero tried to take cover behind one of the crates on the floor he was now on only for a shot slamming right next to him, indicating that he was literally surrounded and being shot at from everywhere.

Yeah, a frontal assault might not have been the smartest of ideas. Unless he did something, he'd be turned into a wreck not dissimilar to the bridge that just collapsed.

Activating the fire chip, he began to gather power into his Buster handgun even as he leaped over the crate, leaving his cover just in time as a rocket from one of the security forces slammed right where he had been. Shrapnel from the wrecked crate racked into his back and the Galleons laying suppressive fire in front of his former hiding place became more than happy to fire directly into him.

This was not good. Racked by gunfire, he felt his strength leave him and already had to empty a first sub-tank's content into his systems to boost his self-repair systems and keep himself alive. This room was a really, really lousy place from which to do his one-man army trick.

As the charge was completed he turned behind him, accepting the gunfire that was striking him to unleash a charge shot, unleashing the Burst Shot EX Skill. The small fireball was not as impressive as the volley of bright plasma projectiles that the Burning Shot inflicted but as the small fireball slammed into a group of Galleons by one of the doors covering an unit reloading his bazooka, the reason why he had chosen this particular ability became obvious: it burst into a massive explosion, turning most of the squads to carbon dust and causing the ones on the edge of the formation to be engulfed in flame.

One of the Galleons simply tipped over and fell off the platform toward the floor down below, half of its frame missing while two others, complete but completely blackened and covered in flames, went down literally screaming before splattering on the ground floor.

Zero had paid no attention to this though as he turned around and dashed as fast as he could. The Galleons obediently switched their aim, trying to direct their fire in front of the crimson Reploid so that he might dash straight into their weapon fire. To their frustration, the Red Demon reacted by kicking into the floor, climbing over the next bridge, kicking into it to somehow and against all reason cling to the wall, and then send himself into the next floor right in the middle of one of the formations of Galleons.

A few screams and Z-Saber slashes later, Zero resumed his breakneck rush through the door.

"We require reinforcements! I repeat, we require reinforcements! Our forces are ineffective!" yelled one of the officers over his communication device.

"What do you mean ineffective? Deploy the Moths!"

As the doors on each floor slid open, what seemed to be metallic wasps the size of a human's torso buzzed in. Although Moths were not exactly the most fearsome air support one could possibly get, they were extremely common, especially in cold weather like this area, and could be easily controlled by the emitters that Lurerre had given to the various Galleons.

Zero swore under his breath as the weapon fire intensified, the Moths falling upon him as a cloud, unleashing a hail of electric sparks. Although the sparks were not anywhere as lethal as Buster shots, his systems still told him about the damage they did even through his armor and even if he ignored that, his nerves certainly told him.

As yet another bridge collapse just as he leaped from it, he gathered his strength and sent himself upward, Z-Saber unleashed, performing a rising strike that sliced many of the nearby Moths... but that only dented the cloud surrounded him and distracted as he was, he did not see the rocket flying straight toward him.

The explosion was deafening, especially given the projectile had slammed straight into his sides. Alarms blared and the world became a blur, all sound ceasing as he was deafened, sent skidding to the left. Eerie silence filled his mind as pain gripped his entire frame, his entire body feeling stiff, numb, unable to stop his roll despite trying to muster his strength.

He felt wet and freezing, his systems telling him that this last hit had torn off a large part off of his side armor, exposing the fleshy parts within, blood covering the platform... his own. He felt weakness and cold, the pain becoming a distant stiffness as he was forced to consume a second helping of sub-tank energy. As the precious energy was forcefully injected into his circuits, his hearing returned and the pain flared again as he once more felt the weapon fire raking at him.

This was seriously growing tiresome.

This time, he took out the Shield Boomerang and ducked, angling it up. The sheer volume of fire made him buckle, the advanced defensive weapon struggling under the strain. He was being shot at from so many angles that many still hit him. He also knew that it was only a matter of seconds before a new rocket would come in toward him...

He waited and then, feeling the power reach its limit, he hurled the Shield Boomerang will all of his strength before taking out his Buster handgun again and beginning to fire wildly.

The Galleons did not think much of a primitive-looking weapon type such as a boomerang. Who used boomerangs nowadays? Besides, as many Buster shots pierced through the helmets of units and floored them, they never guessed what the Red Demon had truly done until it was too late.

The room was already not in a good shape even with the emergency repairs that Lurerre's men had performed and there were many pieces of loose metal all over the place. The green circular buzzsaw-like energy weapon flew around as per Zero's aim, colliding with the great tubes and wires all over the place, circling around the room. The ancient, rusted parts of the room were barely holding as is and with the weapon slamming into them, their structural integrity finally gave out.

One of the pieces of the top floor collapsed under the strain, sending Galleons screaming down as they and their floor turned into kinetic projectiles that crushed the squad right underneath. The boomerang continue, passing through the location of a second squad of hapless Galleons, beheading their officer and the unit in charge of handling their bazooka, sliding through the bazooka's ammo chamber and causing it to detonate. Shrapnel floored the other units, causing them to scream as the lethal metallic bits tore out their arms and torsos open. The boomerang went on its merry way, causing more havoc and causing the various Galleons to pause.

Even as the Galleons saw most of their footing be destroyed and turned into crushing projectiles for most of their forces, the few whose spot was protected from the Red Demon's fury saw him point his Buster handgun and begin to fire it at the Moths... but instead of singular shots, spreads of multiple shots flew forth from its barrel, turning a large part of the cloud of Mechaniloids into burning wrecks that plummeted all over the place.

Smoke and fire filled the great room and they seemed no closer to destroying the Red Demon. They had never really believed the rumors before, thinking that the news reports had just been typical Legion propaganda but as they saw the notorious Maverick shrug off multiple rocket blasts and who knows how many Buster shots while tearing apart a small army all by himself, they began to believe them.

"Back-up! We need back-up! Red Demon is tearing us apart! Situation is in doubt!" screamed one of the officers in his communications device, panicked.

"What do you mean by 'situation is in doubt'?! It's just a single Maverick! Do your job or the boss will have our heads!"

The officer definitely figured he wasn't paid enough for this. Thankfully for his morale, it was then that the doors on the top floor, the ones that still had floors connected to them, opened. They were bringing Face-model turrets with them, the new ice-elemental variant produced by the Slither Inc. and gifted to them by Lady Lurerre for this operation. Perfect, that will stop that infernal red thing in its tracks.

Meanwhile, the crimson Reploid grabbed the Shield Boomerang as it returned and then, while the weapon fire from the Galleons had paused due to shock, took the opportunity to make it to the top of the great room. Kicking into a nearby wall and sending himself on the top floor at last, he came face to face with a fresh squad only to see the characteristic shape of a Face turret in-between him and them.

The turret split in two, revealing its cannon, firing a large chunk of freezing energy straight toward the Reploid. He easily leaped over it but was unpleasantly surprised as the energy exploded behind him into ice blade-like shrapnel. He reacted with lightning speed; he dashed toward the turret, leaning forward, Z-Knuckle glowing. Before the Galleons' shocked gaze, the Red Demon grabbed and lifted the massive blue turret and then threw it in the center of the formation, crushing the officer and sending the heavy weapons unit right off the edge to his doom.

The robotic grunts pointed their Busters at the Maverick... only for the closest one to watch the Red Demon get in close. For a fraction of a second, he saw the cruel Maverick's baleful gaze bore through him before he grabbed and crushed his arm like a tin can, splattering himself with red liquid before smashing his fist into his helmet, ending him.

The Galleons opened fire. Panic messed with their aim, not that it did any good as with blinding speed, the Red Demon reached out and grabbed into the next closest Galleon's chest, tearing out his energy core right out of his body as if his armor just didn't exist before absorbing its contents and then throwing it away. The squad found themselves hearing screams of terror as they fired wildly, as fast as they could, trying to eliminate the insane Maverick killing them. As Zero tore out the last one's energy core, replenishing his energy reserves and refilling a tiny bit of one of his sub-tanks, the Galleon figured that the screams of terror he had heard was his own.

Blasts of freezing energy, more weapon fire, and rockets streaked toward the crimson Reploid. It seemed to do nothing; he dashed and dodged and moved as lightning. Within minutes, it had reached the top of the room without an elevator, slaughtering the better part of their security force all by itself. The turrets' fire was ineffective and even now, it was not even using a weapon anymore, simply tearing them apart with its bare hands.

This was a total joke. They were going to be butchered by the Red Demon helping a Legion-affiliated idiot dig in some ruin.

Their nerve broke.

"RETREAT! RETREAT!" It wasn't actually an officer that screamed that. None of the grunts in the room cared for many of the officers immediately repeated that call as they scrambled out of the doors, simply abandoning their turrets and what little was left of their air cover behind.

As Zero saw the security force dissolve into a panicked mob, he finally allowed himself to relax. Unfortunately, it meant that all of the pain he had been pushing to the back of his mind slammed into him as a single, solid block. He winced, bringing a hand to his side, looking down at himself and noticing the cracks and bullet hots where Buster shots and shrapnel had damaged his armor.

"Well, so much for Ciel taking the time to repair it..." he mumbled to himself.

She was definitely going to be upset. Restoring that armor had taken weeks and now it was back to the good old cracked and junk heap style it had been back during the days of the Resistance complete with the copious amounts of blood, mostly his own, staining the thing.

* * *

The workers and scientists working to decipher the secrets of the large computer in the back room had gathered, quietly discussing as the sounds of gunfire had died out. The combat elements of their force was gone, the Red Demon had broken through. What to do? Surely, the Maverick would go rampage randomly and if they remained quiet, maybe it would go away?

No, it was not that simple. The pattern was very obvious; the noises had been getting steadily closer and what little transmissions reached the laboratory shown that it was working its way up, toward them. The Red Demon is coming and there is nothing they can do about it.

What to do? How to fend it off? Some advocating hiding or playing dead but given the behaviors of Mavericks, it might not work and nobody seemed eager to test it out. Maybe fight it off? They only have civilian-grade Busters and most of them were baseline, human-like Reploids and Humanoids with no combat training and abilities. Many had seen on television what the Red Demon could do; the imagery of how the notorious Maverick had torn apart massive military Mechaniloids had been very vivid.

Their only real solution seemed to somehow fight it off.

How would they stand up to the Red Demon's weapons? Considering how ineffective military-grade armor had been, it made them very uncomfortable. The fact that their only potential bit of heavy weaponry was a loader Mechaniloid while the Red Demon was known to tear through dedicated war machines only served to make them nervous further.

The loader machine was modified, hastily but modified nonetheless. The main loading mechanism was modified with spikes and blades while the front projector was turned into a makeshift laser cannon. It was unknown if the modifications were even functional but they would have to do.

So... here he was, a plain civilian human model Reploid, sitting in the cockpit of a glorified loader with makeshift weapons, staring at the front door of the hall. He had personally unplugged the wires connected to the door's systems, hoping that it would slow down the Red Demon. Maybe he'd just assume the door couldn't be opened and give up?

No. He knew far too well that it wouldn't work. Still, he had done everything he could do.

There was a sudden jolt of yellow energy coursing the door. He leaned forward, staring through the glass of his cockpit. The door slid open, the energy having given it sufficient power to function. Then, as a figure stepped forward, the door ran out of power and slammed shut in a deafening metallic noise. He had seen this figure in the news before, when the team had hijacked signals from a Legion TV station. The pointy helmet, the red and white colors, the cold eyes, the yellow hair kept in an absurdly long ponytail... it was the Red Demon alright.

It occurred to him that reinforced glass would not stop the Red Demon's monstrously powerful Buster gun from blasting his head right off his shoulders and pulled on one of the levers, causing the loading mechanism, now an improvised crushing weapon, to rise in a defensive position, exposing the laser cannon on his machine. Maybe... he could intimidate the thing into leaving?

Fat chance, really. Still, as it occurred to him that this was most probably the last minute of his life, he might as well try it. He pulled and pushed into the lever, slamming the mechanism into the floor as fast and loudly as he could and then activated the communicator on the machine.

"Stay back, Maverick! I will not hesitate to crush you if you make even one more step!"

Apparently, he had failed to hide the intense fear that was gripping his voice since the infamous crimson butcher stared flatly at him. With the intense clarity that preceded imminent death, he realized that it wouldn't have been intimidated even if he hadn't sounded scared and that it probably felt borderline insulted to see the last line of defense being little more than an oversized civilian machine.

The Maverick just stood straight, staring with his piercing glare. The silence was troubled only by the hum of machinery. How long did the Red Demon stare at him? He didn't know. He did not dare attack or even touch any of the buttons on his console. His nerves felt as if they had just made knots within his entire body, freezing it utterly. Any movement he might make could be his last... and he knew that at any moment, the infamous butcher could move to attack and at this moment, he would fail to stop it.

"This is just a sick joke." The Maverick's voice ended the silence. "You know who I am, what I am. You really think you can stop me with this?"

"I-I will not allow you to harm any of my colleagues!"

"I'm not interested in you or your colleagues. All I want is to get to the computer room."

It was just as they had suspected. The pattern had been correct. For a moment, he thought of leaping out of this stupid machine, take his colleagues with him, and just run for it. But then, the one who had hired him and his group as a whole was Lady Lurerre of the Slither Inc. If he deserted, he would probably never get a contract in any of the Legion-controlled zones ever again.

"This is your last warning! Please leave!"

"Seriously? You do realize I just retired almost all of your colleagues without breaking a sweat, correct? You really think a civilian loader Mechaniloid will do better than all of your Galleons?"

He saw the crimson Reploid take out his characteristic weapon. According to the news reports and the various rumors, that strange energy blade of his could turn even the toughest known alloys to nothing but wafer-thin slices. It then occurred to him that the sight of the Maverick preparing to strike caused his left hand to glitch up and shake uncontrollably.

"Well, fine. Have it your way."

As the Maverick hunched over, taking on a combat stance, he came to the conclusion that no paycheck was worth dying in this ruin and that he'd rather live in exile than be butchered. Not like he wasn't already legally a Maverick as far as Legion was concerned anyway. He slammed his hand into the communicator's activation button so hard and fast he almost broke it.

"WAIT! I-I'll let you pass. J-just let me and my colleagues live..."

The crimson Reploid stared at him... and then, to his immense relief, straightened himself out of his combat stance.

"Step out of the vehicle."

The cockpit opened. He slowly stepped out, raising his arms so that the Maverick would see he was clearly unarmed. He watched as the butcher walked closer and prayed he wouldn't decide to have fun...

"Now shoo, you and all your colleagues, before I change my mind."

He didn't even have to tell his colleagues in the next room. The door slid open and they joined him as they broke into a run for the door, reconnected the wires as fast as they could, and began to evacuate. They should have never taken this job...

* * *

Zero couldn't help but wonder if he had done the right thing. After all, it wouldn't have been the first time he'd kill enemy civilians for standing in the way and he was painfully aware of collateral damage and how war in general brought such horrors.

But those weren't obstructive enemies who would have lured him into a trap or anything else. The better part of Lady Lurerre's goons were now bloody smears all over the central area, with their best equipment having failed them. With the damage he had inflicted to the structure during the fight, any Galleons trying to charge in to ambush him would be running into a death trap.

He had recognized them when he had stepped into the hall anyway. Human beings, beleaguered Humanoids, a bunch of civilian model Reploids with armor that wouldn't stop even a low tech kinetic bullet... they were just workers, basic engineers and scientists that you could find and hire by wandering out of Innerpeace for a few hours and then tossing zenny randomly. He knew their kind and they were harmless as harmless was.

He also knew that it was typical to hire this kind of person when you worked on illegal operations. Living outside of Legion's protected zones and with no access to most modern conveniences, they were willing to work for anyone who gave them money and would keep the Mavericks at bay without asking questions, almost no matter the conditions. In short, perfect for black ops operations where you wanted expendable minions okay with being kept in the dark.

They probably knew nothing at all.

As he stepped into the computer room, Zero couldn't help but feel the memories flood his mind. Thankfully, the workers had left their equipment behind, including chairs so he sat down and took the time to assess the damage to his systems. He brought a hand to his side and gripped the open wound, cringing. Most of the wound had closed thanks to the sub-tanks pumping him full of energy but he knew that he'd definitely need repairs once back at Ciel's side.

Sure, that had been bad odds and all with him having been in the open... but for a moment, he found himself realizing just how dangerous his lifestyle was. It had never occurred to him back in the days of the Resistance but after being a simple history teacher for decades, it finally hit him that he could have died back there. Sure, he didn't and he guessed it was par for him... but as he felt the crimson liquid trickle in-between his fingers, it finally hit him why Ciel was so worried whenever he went on missions.

It was such a strange realization and for a moment, he wondered why he didn't get it earlier. But then, it was probably he had never really thought about it before. He had been so focused...

Ironically, his wandering thoughts about Ciel's feelings reminded him of the task at end. So he activated the communicator.

"Ciel, come in."

"I'm receiving you clearly. Are you alright, Zero?"

For a moment, he was tempted to say that he was alright as usual but due to his earlier thoughts, decided to be frank. "Could have went better. Took heavy damage but still good to go. Armor's damaged."

Then, after a pause... "I'm sorry, Ciel."

"You're... sorry?"

"Yeah, for damaging the armor."

"Zero, I can always repair your armor or even remake it from scratch if push comes to shove. You, on another hand, if anything was to happen to you..." she fell silent for a moment, not knowing how to continue. She decides to just carry on before the situation becomes too awkward. "I'm just glad you made it, don't worry about the armor. I can always repair it when you get back. Don't push yourself too hard, alright?"

"Don't worry. The enemy is in full retreat. Now, I've reached the computer room. Visual data is coming in correctly?"

"Yes, go ahead Zero."

Satisfied, the crimson Reploid looked over the room. Crates, small power generators, wires, chairs, a table, Ciel's old computer with basic emergency repairs to keep it functioning and currently broadcasting the distress signal he'd been detecting all along and...

Zero blinked once and then got off his chair. He approached the corner of the room and removed the electrodes. The small table was covered in blood and he could see the stained knives, drills, and other instruments on the other side.

"Zero, is the visual data correct? This looks like..."

"Childre Inarabitta, yes, confirmed Zero.

A Neo Arcadian Reploid that had lived centuries ago and had been brainwashed by Weil in the days of the Resistance. Zero would recognize the small, rabbit-like frame anywhere. It was bloodied, with its chest opened and electrodes left piercing through one respiratory system. From the blood on the table and the missing organs, it was obvious that he was dead. Of course, Childre Inarabitta should not be here at all; Zero had killed him back in the days of the Resistance, in a far-off sea. Even if the damage to his systems hadn't been overwhelming, enough time had passed that the wreck would never be this intact.

Besides, the presence of blood seemed to indicate that he had been killed recently... which meant that this was a clone. And well, he knew of no one except for Ciel who had the data necessary to create a copy of him and he knew for certain that she would not create one...

"It seems that someone was experimenting on him. From the looks of the equipment, they were trying to figure out the effects of something and took samples. They did not expect him to survive the experiment... probably terminated him if he survived it at all, Ciel said.

But what had they been experimenting on him for? He looked over to the nearby computer and moved a chair up to it. It was a typical computer model as Ciel made them, one of the many computers that had been installed near the central vault and that their team had used when studying Model W. Judging from the lack of any other computer, he guessed they must have been using it for their experiments.

He activated the interface and what he saw...

"Security report number 504-11. Mer's unit was wiped out by Serpent. It seems that the worst has happened, he has contracted Maverick symptoms from extended exposure to Biometal Model W. Agent Zero has restrained him and we are preparing to apply treatments but I'm afraid that we're not too hopeful. Zero is right, if we remain here, we run the risk of all turning Mavericks. What little progress we have done will have to do."

"This is..." Ciel's voice was genuinely surprised. Zero nodded, even though he knew she would not see him do so.

"I know..."

It was her voice, her own record from their research on the Biometal Model W Core.

"I will now attempt to record what little is known about the cause of his insanity below. Hopefully, should anything happen to us, it will allow to prevent any other Guardians or civilians from turning Mavericks because of its power..."

What proceeded next, he already knew; Ciel had told him about that report after all. But this raised some very important questions, the most important one being...

"Why would Serpent wants this data? He was one of the Guardians once, he know all this already. Considering his cover as head of his own security force, one would think he'd make sure that all of his minions steer clear of here unless he is able to secure the Biometal Model W Core..."

Zero thought about what Ciel said. It was indeed as he thought. And well, the experiments they were doing...

"Well, I guess we now know what this was all about. I'm returning to base."

Zero turned around and walked back the way he came. Sure, he could have Ciel transport him back but he knew that with him deep in enemy territory the enemy would be able to get a lock on Ciel's signal. Radio signals simply exposed his own location. Trans-server signals however could be placed to their origin and would expose her location. Although he knew that they'd have to move to a new base in a few months, it still wouldn't be a good idea to give Serpent their location.

Sure, with all of those people on the run and the security force in shock, it was probable they'd be on full retreat. Then, it was probable that they'd probably try to re-arrange their formations and try to ambush him again. After all, he had yet to run into Lady Lurerre herself and frankly, he hoped to sneak out of there before her minions could get another shot at him... though he knew that due to his luck, she'd probably get in his way sooner or later.

As he made his way back to the central area, he stepped near the edge of the crumbled top floor and thought for a second before coming to a decision. Coming back the way he came was too risky; Lurerre was not dumb and probably would have her troops waiting for him there. But then, he knew that there were multiple access routes to the complex and with the carnage earlier, he knew they probably didn't have the numbers left to reinforce them all. Especially given he had stepped back into the main room and was not greeted by gunfire.

It was a simple thing to work his way down from the top floor, leaping and sliding down the ruined floors and tubes, until he reached the access to the inner reservoir. An emergency exit route was located in it and he knew it was probable that the enemy would not guard it given it was underwater and that the exit there was unlabeled on any map.

As he entered the small hall and then dove into the frigid water, no guards had been there to intercept him. Now, all he had to do was walk through the access tube, cross the main reservoir, and...

...as he stepped into the cavernous water reservoir, he saw a particular Reploid. Small in shape, hiding near the northern wall of the container, her small, petite form staring at her with red eyes. On one hand, the blue color scheme did remind him of Leviathan somewhat... but then, Leviathan had been a full human-shaped Reploid, while Lurerre was barely half his size.

"Oh my my... What do we have here?" a smirk formed on the Slither Inc. officer's face as she massaged the wrist of her left wrist with her other hand, as if in anticipation. "If it isn't the Red Demon?"

Then, instantly, her smile vanished and was replaced with a very, very upset frown, her glare piercing through the crimson Reploid. "That's the last time I leave anything of importance to Mavericks! They got themselves slaughtered and failed to stop a single, measly wild Maverick! What a bunch of idiots!"

She rolled her eyes, letting out a loud sigh, letting out a stream of bubbles through the cold water. "Pay peanuts, get monkeys, she mumbled to herself. But as she stared at the Reploid in question, she found herself crossing her arms. "Say... now that I look at you like this... you look just like Zero, that Reploid that used to work with Lord Serpent. Perhaps you might be the Reploid upon whose abilities the Model Z Mega Man was based?"

"So you were after the data on our database. Since you know who I am, I assume you know what I am capable of. I recommend you start talking." Zero straightened himself, glaring menacingly at the blue Reploid.

She returned his glare in kind, her eyes narrowing as she uncrossed her arms. "It wasn't a coincidence that you were on that highway the other day or that you were sighted sniffing around poor, poor Lord Serpent's bases lately, isn't it? Well I'm not telling you anything so beat it!"

She thrown her arms to her sides, taking on a battle stance. "I am the lovely Mega Man Model L, Lurerre of Slither Inc., defender of Innerpeace! By the authority imbued to me by the Slither Inc. and by Legion, prepare yourself to be retired vile Maverick!"

Zero hunched over, taking on his usual combat stance, fingers twitching and stretching as he prepared himself mentally and physically. If it was to be this way, then so be it. Still... this was Lady Lurerre, one of the officers of the Slither Inc. You didn't climb the ranks of a company like that one by being a calculator on legs, especially not if you were on the front lines like Lurerre was right now. And well, he couldn't help but notice how brightly she glowed and how dark the reservoir was; even with his enhanced Reploid senses and the light that Lurerre was emitting, there were very, very large shadows all over the place.

Lurerre brought a hand up, her hand soon becoming encased in a bright sphere of blue colored light. Then, with a swipe, the energy was fired into a trio of ice blades that flew in a spread shot-like manner. The shot went wide, aimed so that it would sail right over the crimson Reploid's head and head straight for the back of the room... but just as the blades flew, she repeated the motion.

Very clever, though Zero. A partially charged ice-elemental Buster cannon shot fired in such a way that by releasing the energy in increments, Lurerre ended up firing multiple shots using a single short-worth of energy. An advanced technique, extremely tricky and the mark of an expert. Just from that alone, he knew he was facing a foe more skillful than the mercenaries he had been shooting and slicing apart so far.

The crimson Reploid took out his Buster handgun and began to move forward, firing at the blue Reploid repeatedly but saw her obediently sway through the water, dodging his shots just as easily as he was dodging hers. For a moment, there seemed to be a stalemate as both Reploids kept firing shots that went wide at one another, the blue Reploid moving up and down while the crimson one went back and forth.

Both realized that they were not going anywhere and as Lurerre positioned herself high, she stopped firing and brought both hands together, gathering energy.

Seeing it as his opportunity, Zero activated the fire chip and unsheathed the Z-Saber, charging forward. Judging from the blue color and the copious use of ice, he guessed that Lurerre would probably not fire-elemental attacks...

Then, Lurerre let go of the energy sphere and after gesticulating widely, thrusted her left hand into the sphere yelling: "GREAT ARCTIC STAR!"

Zero kicked into the floor as hard as he could, stopped his dash as the sphere exploded into a large icicle that flew... right above him?

It was then that he noticed the blue energy that leaked from the great ice projectile and dropped everything, exploding into a small explosions that then solidified into very sharp-looking ice blades, covering the floor of the reservoir.

"Well, isn't that just gre-" his complaint wqas interrupted as Lurerre lowered herself to ground level and again gesticulated before yelling again.

"Take this, Maverick scum! LEVIATHAN LASER!"

PSHWOOOOOOOM!

Zero saw the monstrous beam of freezing energy heading toward him and for a moment, he had a funny-looking frown on his face. Did Lurerre think she's some kind of cheesy magical girl show character or something yelling her attacks like that? This is ridiculous!

Regardless of Lurerre's actions, that beam was massive and probably as lethal as it looked. But the more worrying point was that it was flash-freezing the water in the reservoir, causing the beam to be pushing a block of ice and lowering the temperature near it to levels where it could probably turn him into a snowman if he got anywhere close to the thing. It also occurred to Zero that because of those ice blades all over the floor, he kind of didn't have the room to dodge.

She was good. She was VERY good.

He had to act fast or he'd be turned into an ice statue. Judging by how the front of the beam was solid and how he figured he might as well use the energy he gathered in his weapon, he grasped the hilt of the Z-Saber with all of his strength, waited until the beam was getting closer, and then let out a war cry as he smashed the weapon with all of his strength forward.

A fully charged Z-Saber slash was an impressive sight and now was no exception. The Z-Saber didn't as much generate a blade as it triggered a blade-shaped explosion, super-heated plasma smashing into the reservoir's floor with enough strength that it sent parts of hardened plating flying all over the place and instantly turned the concrete underneath to glass while a large part of the energy bounced off the floor into a large flare of white and yellow energy.

The sheer power of the attack cause the mass of ice to crack but most importantly, pushed it back with such strength that for a moment, the beam stopped dead in its tracks.

That, Zero thought, was very interesting.

"What?" Lurerre's quiet but clearly shocked gasp galvanized the crimson Reploid.

Taking his trusty Buster handgun, Zero switched the electric chip on and then began to pull the trigger as fast as he could. With the V-Shot EX Skill active, this caused Zero's Buster to double its firing rate, unleashing a stream of energy that outright pushed back against Lurerre's own beam.

Her beam had a lot more raw power than Zero's barrage but due to its nature and the liquid environment in which the two fought, it meant that the beam was losing a lot of power as it moved through the water while Zero's shots were cutting through, pushing the ice mass far more effectively.

"N-not fair!" complained Lurerre as she complained, feeling her beam being pushed back steadily.

But despite sinking as much power as she could in her beam, Zero had the upper hand and as the energy was forced back into Lurerre's body, her eyes widened in a mix of shock and pain from the feedback from her attack. Then, with a half-muted scream, her body overloaded, turning white as her power was channeled directly into her own body with nowhere to go. With no way to exit her body, the energy created its own exits; her entire body fragmented before blowing up spectacularly, sending white freezing energy everywhere.

Zero stopped, taking the opportunity to cool down a bit as he watched the cable that had been connected to her head previously glow. For some reason, that felt a bit too easy... not just that but he thought on the amount of shadows in the area. Besides, sure, that had been Biometal-enhanced attacks clearly but he had seen no part of her body that seemed to indicate that she was covered in Biometal armor. Then there was her name...

Lurerre... like a lure. Surely, she must be named that way for a reason.

It was a good thing he had been suspicious and didn't assume he had already won for suddenly, a gargantuan fish-shaped Mechaniloid rocketed out of the shadows, jaws wide open. Zero kicked into the floor, using his dashing to send himself flying away from the fish in a panic, the jaws missing by so little he swore the thing had scrapped the paint off his boots.

Lurerre, fragile Reploid, no traces of Biometal... of course! She used a drone made of Biometal to fight!

As if on cue, two things happened. One was that he landed on a ice spike, piercing right through his right foot and coloring the water nearby red. The second was that the cable, connected to the Biometal drone, unleashed a large amount of energy and before his very eyes, he saw Lurerre's body reform.

"Tsk tsk. As if it would be so easy. You Mavericks are so overconfident." Lurerre was wagging her finger as Zero as he reached out and grabbed his own boot, trying to get himself unstuck. "I know how you Mavericks think. I'm working for one after all."

The crimson Reploid couldn't help but feel himself a bit annoyed by that last turn of events. She had played him so completely. But then, he was also good. Since she seemed back in a talkative mood, he took the opportunity to distract her a bit...

"That's kind of obvious. Considering his plan, the data here is kind of superfluous. Or maybe he's finally taking a break from being a mad psychopath in order to cover his tracks, ten years late? What am I saying, he isn't since he sent you to clean up."

It had the effect he hoped he would... though it didn't cause her to say what he expected. "Why you! It's not Lord Serpent's fault! He got good intentions, he just needs to have his priorities... straightened out a bit. And you dirty Maverick scum is interfering!"

Wait. What she said, the data she gathered, the fact that it's an independent security force she hired instead of Slither Inc. regulars...

"You're trying to find a cure to Serpent's Maverick symptoms?"

"It's that dumb Biometal Model W thing! He's not a psychopath, he's just sick!"

And all of a sudden, the obvious hit him. Serpent is a Maverick but he is socially functional enough that he managed to make a living for himself as an independent defense contractor. By culling Maverick attacks and making Innerpeace safe, he effectively made himself beloved to the people... which logically means that people would flock to the Slither Inc. to help them. Logic dictate that not every single person who join with Serpent would be aware of his true plans and would approve of them should he knew.

Ciel had theorized that for Serpent's plans to go without a hitch, he'd need a level of manpower that couldn't be obtained from his inner circle and their personal minions alone. He'd need to attract a number of employees, officers, and general volunteers who would be unaware of his true goals... and who would probably try to stop him if they knew.

No wonder Lurerre's operation was so covert. Given how advanced was Serpent's Maverick symptoms, he was probably corrupted enough that if he learnt of her attempts to cure him, he'd probably fire him or more probably retire her.

With a solid yank, Zero finally unstuck his boot from the ice spike, shattering it. Pain coursed his circuits but as he regained his mobility, he took back on his battle stance, hunching over.

"Look what you did! You got me talking! That's it, I'm tearing you apart piece by piece you filthy Maverick!"

That made him smirk. Took her long enough to notice. And with that said, she began to fire more of her icicles all over the place. He knew that he could try to shoot her but he would just miss and trying to get closer would be hazardous. He didn't even try. Z-Saber in hand, he rolled as he dashed, turning himself into a mobile buzzsaw, tearing through the ice blades that Lurerre had placed all over the area.

With each dodge, he slashed into another set of ice blades, the energy blade of his weapon easily cleaving through the blades and shattering them. Lurerre blinked even as she continued to fire only to notice that there was now a great clearing in her field of blades and that if this continued, none would remain.

Oh no he won't! Not if she have something to say about it! Once more, she conjured power from the Model L Biometal and gathered it into her hands, forming a second sphere. "GREAT ARCTIC STAR!" she yelled out as she unleashed the gathered power.

Zero was prepared for the attack this time. He sheathed the Z-Saber and watched as the giant star-shaped ice projectile floated forward, showering the reservoir with more blades. Then, as he felt the energy sufficiently gathered in his body, he took out the Buster handgun and fired it straight at the star. The energy rushed out of the gun, taking the form of a large, fat blue fireball that thundered through the air before passing right through the ice projectile, turning it into a flurry of broken, useless shards that quickly dissolved into the water.

That was not good, thought Lurerre to herself. For a moment, a rather obvious frown was seen on her face as her attack completely failed. It occurred to her that she was in a precarious position strategically; her ice shots flew too slowly to hit the Maverick, her Leviathan Laser had a rather high chance of being reflected into her body again, and her Great Arctic Star was no longer working. She could always try to strike him with the Model L drone but there was a reason she used her own body as a lure. The drone is very slow and unwieldy meaning that as opponent as agile as Zero would evade its bites with ease and although it did have weaponry of its own, it was in the form of torpedoes meant to be used against large, slow targets.

Zero saw the eyes of the Slither Inc. officer narrows, her frown turning from an upset one into an angered one. With him having figured out her tricks, she either would have to come up with new ones or stop hanging back and attack aggressively. From the looks on her face, he guessed what she was going to do and switched his fire-elemental chip back online while he holstered his handgun, sheathing the Z-Saber and allowing the gauntlet of the Z-Knuckle to form on his arm.

With a war cry, Lurerre charged forward, dragging her massive drone with her. The crimson Reploid prepared himself to leap out of the way but instead saw a flurry of ice blades flying toward him. At point blank range, dodging the spread of ice-elemental energy shots wasn't quite nearly as easy and as he dashed to the left, he felt one of the blades slice through his right shoulder, damaging the armor and sending a freezing feeling through his entire body.

He cringed but simply kicked into the floor, sending himself jumping high into the water, causing Lurerre's next shot to slam into the floor uselessly, missing entirely. At that moment, the great anglerfish-like drone opened its mouth and slowly, a massive orange torpedo, almost twice as big as the crimson Reploid, began to propel itself forward.

Zero landed and ducked as Lurerre barely missed and he saw the torpedo heading straight for him. Yep, he was doing exactly what he thought she did. However, he also saw that the drone was not designed for hitting a small target. That torpedo... he saw this type before. Those kind of large projectiles are used to destroy ships, not hit individual Reploids and Mechaniloids. This meant that the detonation fuse on the thing was probably timed and that it wasn't designed to trigger nearly as quickly as an anti-personnel rocket. Zero's one weakness was that his Reploid copy-body was not exactly the powerhouse that Omega had been and even with Ciel's upgrades to his armor, he doubted he'd be able to win a slugging match with a combat model Reploid, especially one augmented with Biometal and capable of regeneration. So instead, he dashed straight toward the torpedo.

The sight of her foe actually heading straight for her projectile instead of trying to avoid it made Lurerre pause from how ridiculous and absurd the sight was. This was an anti-ship projectile, a weapon designed to punch through huge targets and a Maverick of Zero's experience would certainly know better than to try his luck surviving a hit from it. Yet here he was, dashing toward it. But then, something even more absurd happened. Zero lashed out with that silly gauntlet of his and... stopped the torpedo cold in its tracks? Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the Maverick somehow grabbed the massive torpedo with both hands and then lifted it above his head. It didn't occur to her that he was going to throw it at her so she just floated there, jaw hanging open like a fish, as he hurled the thing as her.

CLUNG!

The turret sent Lurerre spinning, keeping her from being rocketed around the room out of control only because of her connection to the Model L drone. Even then, the world spun out of control, with her suddenly unable to determine where she was. In her disorientation, it occurred to her that she was in grave, mortal danger and she desperately reached out, trying to grab into her own connection cable.

She saw a blinding flash of yellow then-PAIN!

Lurerre screamed in anguish as the Flame Fang EX Skill hit its mark. A favorite of his, which he had perfected during the days of the Resistance and which he remembered had been one of his mainstays even back in the days from before the Elf Wars. It was simple but lethal; a leaping vertical slash, going upward simultaneously with his body, the Z-Saber's blade flaring out into a corona of super-heated plasma. The monstrous heat from the attack was the most physically damaging fire-elemental move he had access to.

On Lurerre, whose body was petite, weak against this element, and dependent on the regenerative abilities of the drone to survive massive hits, the effect was spectacular.

Despite the fact that they were fighting underwater, the blue-colored Reploid still burst into flames and began to burn. What little thoughts of fighting were left in her mind were washed away by a mix of excruciating pain and terror as she screamed in anguish, flailing her arms as if to try and put out the flames that were consuming her. The drone behind her twitched, its eyes flashing as its power was taxed far, far beyond its acceptable parameters.

Even as the flames began to die down quickly enough, Lurerre saw the exit to the reservoir at the other side of the area. She had to get out of there, she had to get away from that crazy Maverick, she had to-

She saw Zero close to her, far too close. He had leaped on her, his boots on her hips. She saw his gauntlet-clad hand go for her head. She could not take her eyes off his face as he grabbed into the connective cable between her and the Model L Biometal drone.

He effortlessly tore out the cable.

Hollow, she felt hollow. She tried to draw upon power to repair her body, to keep fighting but all she felt was emptiness. Her entire body felt weak, so heavy, so stiff. Her vision swam as the sudden break of the connection threatened to make her go unconscious. Without the drone's ability to repair her, the sheer overwhelming damage that Zero had inflicted upon her finally registered. Instinctively, from the pain and the terror that suddenly gripped her body, she tried to cry out for help.

She found herself unable to call out or even scream. Instead came out a pathetic whimper, muffled by sobs and thick crimson liquids that leaked out of her mouth. It occurred to her that she was seriously damaged, bleeding to the point where it just flowed out of her mouth as she tried to talk.

With a soft thud, she crashed into the floor. The world was spinning all around her, the reservoir so dark. She saw the shadow of the Red Demon hanging over her. He looked so tall and in the dark, he looked like a monster, with his malevolent glowing eyes and his gauntlet, gripping a blood-soaked cable that had once made her one of Slither Inc.'s finest.

For a moment, the terror and the pain mixed and she was tempted to burst into tears and beg for mercy. But then, she was an officer of Slither Inc. and she had dedicated her life to fighting Mavericks, to defending the people. She knew how the career of a combat Reploid always ended, what the logical end was. So instead, she spat at him, cleared her throat of the blood that filled it.

"Do your worst, Maverick scum!" she spat, despite the weakness that gripped her.

Zero watched his defeated opponent lay down on the floor. She had been so confident and skillful. Now, she was broken, pathetic, weak. Her life was at his mercy. Should he wish for it, he would be able to easily end her life at any moment, to thrust his blade into her core and end her. Or maybe squeeze it out of her with the Z-Knuckle. For a moment, he even had thoughts of using the Shield Boomerang as a makeshift buzzsaw and slowly saw off each of her limbs before cutting her chest open and slowly crushing her heart.

No. Especially not that last one. He'd never do any of this. She was broken, defeated. Besides, she was just trying to cure Serpent. Their battle had been pointless, useless. Well, she wielded one of Ciel's Biometals and he's bringing it back but frankly?

As the tension from the battle finally died down, images began to stream into his mind. The way Lurette had fought, the way she had fought icicles all over the place, her position during the fight, the way she used the power of Model L... it had seemed familiar.

No, not familiar in the way that he saw it before but for some reason, he found himself remembering something. A great base covered in ice, ruined like this one. What was he doing there? It was long ago, he knew for he felt heavier in that memory, like he was covered in that bulky armor he had back before the Elf Wars.

But he remembered something... something about how Lurette could release energy from her Buster arm in a controlled manner. He knew he could do this, that once he could do this. How was it that he could do it?

... he... he used the Z-Saber. He used it for everything back then. But for the moment, he realized he knew something. He remembered.

Turning on the ice-elemental chip, he unsheathed the Z-Saber but did not charge it. Instead, he ducked, gathered his strength, and then sent himself straight to the ceiling. He reached out as he leaped and as he reached the ceiling of the reservoir, he gripped it with all of his strength. Despite gravity beckoning, he simply dug in his boots into the metal and hanged on. Then, he swung his Z-Saber downward.

The water froze from the swing and he controlled the flow from the Z-Saber's blade carefully. The effect was familiar. A single ice blade, large and fat but otherwise like the ones Lurette fired before.

He had used this before. He finally recalled it. An ancient EX Skill, from back when he had been in Omega's body.

The Ice Wolf Fang...

A Z-Saber version of the Blizzard Arrow. Harder to use but a lot more raw power to it. Interesting, actually! Might come in handy!

... why do he remember the foe he learnt it from sounding like he had a name out of an amateur rock and roll band?

Must be a memory glitch.

With that done, he let go and gently allowed himself to land back on the floor.

He walked past her. He walked up to the now inactive drone and as if sensing him, its top opened, revealing a familiar sight. Well, mostly. He could recognize the shape of the Model L Biometal that housed Leviathan's mind but for some reason, it seemed kind of... incomplete?

"I know I wondered aloud why Ciel didn't just recreate my original body but well, when I said I wanted a body, that wasn't quite what I had in mind!"

For some reason, he couldn't help but smile a bit. If only to let himself cool down from the whole fight. The former X Guardian carried on without a care. "Anyway, thank you for freeing me from that awful body."

"It's nice to see you again, Leviathan."

There was a short pause. Zero guessed that his former foe was probably grinning from inside the Biometal.

"Hundreds of years and yet, some things never change. We still end up fighting and I still end up losing though this time, it really wasn't my fault."

"That we fought or that you lost?"

"Both! And since when do you have a sense of humor?" That really made him smile.

"So Leviathan... anything you can tell me about Serpent and his plans?"

"That's more like it! Anyway, apart from the fact that he's a dangerous Maverick, old meaning of the word, is trying to wake up the Model W Core or that he split me in two and left my personality in one half and most of my actual abilities in the other half? Not much. You're going to do your thing and tear through them, aren't you?"

Zero nodded. So the Biometals were divided in two... made sense, in a way. Probably, they would be too difficult to control if they were whole. He knew that the X Guardians would never allow themselves to be turned into Serpent's goons, that he knew for sure. They were too dedicated to their duties, too stubborn.

"How does Master X fare, by the way? I heard he's been lending power to some kid."

"How about you ask him yourself when we get back? I'm not sure if Lady Lurerre will receive reinforcements or when they'll come and the faster I'm out of here, the better it will be."

The Biometal floated away from the drone and came within grabbing distance. Discarding his Z-Knuckle, he grabbed into the Model L Biometal and nodded to his onetime foe. Hopefully, they will be on the same side longer than before.

"You... you're just going to leave me there?"

Lady Lurerre. He had basically forgotten about her. He turned back to her.

"You're... not going to finish me off?"

He stared at her for a moment. It was true that he could do that but then, now that he thought about it... he had let Leviathan live back then. Okay, sure, the first time he had truly tried to kill her but she had proven too tough and had just assumed he was going easy on her. But he had genuinely let her live and although they had fought so many times, she had repaid her debt to him when the time had come to face Omega. Now, he stood before a mirror of that old situation.

Lurerre is loyal to Serpent... yet, she came here to find a cure for him and obviously isn't too fond of his plan. It would be foolish to trust her but it was an opportunity and well, it made him think. He had killed so many people and with his thoughts and those civilians earlier...

Sure, if an enemy rises, he will not hesitate to destroy it. But is she an enemy anymore, right now? She's broken in pieces, obviously terrified, not being a threat to anyone in particular at the very moment. She wasn't even trying to give disapproving glares at him.

"I knew Serpent. Once, he said. "The data in that computer did reveal that but it couldn't explain the truth about that point."

"And the truth was?"

"That he was my friend." He could see the change in her expression. "Serpent was once the best among us. Dedicated, passionate, gentle, full of compassion. I saw the Biometal Model W twist him into a mockery of his former self, destroy all of the ideals that he once held dear. I saw him turn his weapon against me, against his former friends. I oppose him not because I hate him... but because he doesn't deserve to become the monster that his plan would turn him into."

It had been the truth too, which helped. In a way, it was still unreal, even after all those years. It was just so hard to reconcile the image of that Reploid who had given everything to try and help others with the psychotic conspirator who now led the Slither Inc. And for a moment, he wondered... if Lurerre could glimpse for a moment traces of Serpent's old self in him, could he be perhaps saved?

It was probably a fool's hope. Serpent was exposed to Biometal Model W for years. Such long-term exposure means that the damage is almost certainly irreversible. But still, Serpent had once been his friend and he remembered the name of Sigma. Serpent did not deserve to go down in history as a second coming of Sigma.

"What... what reasons do I have to believe you?"

"None. As I have none to believe you weren't trying to play upon my past with Serpent either. But if either of us were truthful, then we will need help."

He turned away from Lurerre and activated his communicator. He reduced the volume of his voice so only Ciel would be able to hear him.

"You saw and heard everything?"

"Yes. I am a bit uneasy about this but if it can allow us to save lives, I will set up something."

"Do you think she might have been on to something?"

"Regarding a cure? I would really hope so but it's only our data and you know I barely could come to a decent understanding of Biometal. If your flashbacks are any indication, it took a better half of my ancestor's lifetime to create a cure to the Sigma Virus and even then, the virus was understood for decades before she even began her work. I had only but a few months to study the Biometal Model W."

He guessed as much. After a short pause, the scientist carried on. "Still, a contact within the Slither Inc. may allow us to track Serpent's activities better and maybe even help to keep innocents out of it as much as possible. I'm not that surprised that there would be at least one person in the company not agreeing with Serpent. After all, I myself used to be part of Neo Arcadia before I joined the Resistance back in the day. Still, we'll keep her at arm length for now. I will get a contact scenario set up but outside of that, we cannot do much more."

"Understood. Coming back to base now. Zero, out."

He glanced back to Lurerre after deactivating his communicator. "We will be in contact. Look for signs."

And then, with that said, he made his way into the shadows, to the back of the reservoir. He knew already where the emergency exit was. He pressed his hands against the bare metal on the wall and felt the indentations. A push there, a pull there and the wall shifted slowly. Moving inside, the secret door slid back behind him, revealing an old Trans Server. He moved up to it and then was satisfied when he heard the humming indicating it was still functional. Good.

It was time to go back home. He knows that the Guardians had been performing a mission of their own while he was out there checking on the research center and the vault. Guess it's time to see if they're done and how their mission have went while he was busy...

* * *

**(TO BE CONTINUED)**


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